 Welcome to Season 3 of the Body Wisdom Podcast with Dr. Michele. This season the podcast will be focusing on healthy habits. As your host, I’ll be recording solo episodes which will answer some of the most common questions I’m asked as a physician such as “how do I build a new habit?” "which habits are essential to get healthy again?" "what can I do to lose weight?" "how can I look and feel younger again?" "how can I start exercising again if I haven't done it in years?" and more. I will also be coaching patients and clients live on-air, and conducting interviews with other health & wellness experts. Of course, I am always open to new topic ideas, so if there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com. Today Dr. Michele explains "What is Easeful Living?" I hope you enjoy the show! About Dr. Michele: As a physician & surgeon, certified Ayurvedic and Autoimmune health coach, yoga/anatomy teacher, and overall health & wellness expert, Dr. Michele Summers Colon is an Advocate for Women's Health. Her passion is helping women help themselves to heal their body. She is the author of Body Wisdom: 10 Weeks to Transformation, the creator and host of the Body Wisdom with Dr. Michele Podcast, and the leader of the Body Wisdom Membership Program. She has been interviewed and quoted in many prominent publications including USA Today, US News & World Reports, Health Magazine, Yahoo! Makers, and Bloomberg BusinessWeek. One of Dr. Michele’s greatest strengths is her ability to help women create balanced, healthy lives by looking at the whole picture. She combines the best of Eastern and Western medicine to create individualized health & wellness plans for her patients and clients. For over 24 years, Dr. Michele has dedicated herself to maintaining a private medical practice and providing exceptional care to her patients while at the same time studying holisitic and integrative medicine. Dr. Michele believes that food is medicine and that yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation are the keys to perfect health. Dr. Michele has a Bachelor’s degree in Physiology from UCBerkeley, a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and a Doctorate degree in Podiatry from Barry University, and graduated from a Foot & Ankle Surgical Residency in Los Angeles. Dr. Michele is also certified in Ayurvedic as well as Autoimmune Health Coaching, Yoga, Reiki, Reflexology, and Laser Therapy. Dr. Michele specializes in Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Therapeutic Yoga to provide the most healing, relaxation, and rejuvenation to her patients and clients. Dr. Michele has studied Ayurvedic Medicine extensively and has worked with some of the best practitioners throughout the United States to bring Ayurveda to the forefront of medicine. Combining yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation is one of Dr. Michele’s passions so that she can spread the word to as many people as possible that this is the path to perfect health. Show Notes: Easeful living is a habit in and of itself but it's also a result of the previous Ayurvedic habits we've covered. Easeful living is about being more present, more calm, more content, and more at peace. Easeful living is about being able to savor each moment and to tap into gratitude and the abundance that surrounds us. It's about feeling so deeply nourished by life that there's more patience and compassion for those around us. Easeful living is about being in a flow and having a deeper trust that you are taken care of. Easeful living is a grounded connection to your natural state, your divine inheritance as a human, the basic teachings of heaven on earth. When you notice stress, choose ease. The problem isn’t the problem. Your reaction to the problem is the problem. Stabilize your day-to-day perspective in the expanded backdrop of easeful awareness, in touch with intrinsic plenitude. Like a toggle switch in your nervous system, you live in either reaction or reception. The first perpetuates stress, the latter cultivates ease. One unconsciously meanders towards unconscious tension, limitation, and disconnection. The other intentionally leads to an extraordinary, heart-centric, intimate, and evolutionary life. Allow stress, overwhelm, or anxiety to fade into the background as you focus on living into what each day unfurls. You’ll enjoy an extraordinary life and become an inspired leader for your future. How do we do this? It comes about from daily self-care and healthy routines.   When we're not in an easeful state chances are we haven’t aligned our day with what matters most. Or maybe we're too busy and overscheduled to be able to slow down and enjoy ourselves. Maybe we haven't taken care of ourselves with proper food, the right exercise or enough sleep. Maybe we're stuck in a cycle of rushing and worrying and feel like we're in a perpetual state of stress and anxiety.   Tantric yoga philosophy states that life is inherently supportive. In the yogic text the word niralambaya means - "never without" and it also means "without limbs". In other words, the universe has got your back; your job is to lean back into that intrinsic support and know that you have everything you need already inside of you.  Another known thread in yoga is sthira sukham asanam. Which means our seat, or our state, should be steady and easeful.   But most of us don't have this experience. We don't feel supported by our jobs, our partners, our friends or even life itself. At least this was my experience before I adopted self-care practices and a daily routine that allowed me to tap into the feeling of fullness because I gave myself what I needed to feel whole.   Easeful living is created when:  We are well nourished by our diet  We are well rested with restorative sleep  We feel good in our skin through daily movement and exercise  We spend time in silence daily and clear our minds  We practice self-love through self-massage  We take care of our body, mind and heart on every level  We take control of our day and are intentional with our time  How would you craft your day to feel more grounded and easeful? What habits do you need to feel your very best each day? Return to these simple touchpoints throughout your day: ●  Receive the gift of breath. ●  Receive the earth beneath you. ●  Receive the heavens above. ●  Receive a drink of water. ●  Receive the gift of the company you keep. Relax and enjoy your senses. Your senses situate you in the present. Orient your senses to receive. Look for beauty. Listen for wisdom. Speak with connection. Touch with sensitivity. Now, allow your awareness to expand, infinitely, beyond your self. Situate your perspective to expanded, interconnected awareness. These Ayurvedic habits get easier and easier, until they are seamlessly automated into your life, giving you back more energy, more groundedness, more clarity, more connectivity. “Write a paragraph titled, “Who you want to become next.” Let your pen flow over the paper. Trust your desire. Don’t edit yourself. Read it in bed for a week, before you go to sleep and when you wake up. As you read it, if words need editing or the paragraph needs reworking, then go right ahead.“ – Cate Stillman, Master of You  Click here for your: Easeful Living Tip Sheet. Namaste, Dr. Michele ****************************** If there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com or schedule a coaching call with me so we can dive deeper to find out what is going on and come up with a plan of action for you: drmichele.com/schedule Today’s show was brought to you by the Body Wisdom Membership Program. For more information, head on over to my website drmichele.com and click on the JOIN NOW or WORK WITH ME tab. All of the information is there about my group programs as well as 1:1 coaching. If you have questions about your health that you would like me to answer on air, you can email them to me or go to my website drmichele.com/get in touch to contact my team. If you have questions you’d like to discuss with me directly, sign up for a coaching call at drmichele.com/schedule. 

Body Wisdom With Dr. Michele

#89 What is Easeful Living?

Welcome to Season 3 of the Body Wisdom Podcast with Dr. Michele. This season the podcast will be focusing on healthy habits. As your host, I’ll be recording solo episodes which will answer some of the most common questions I’m asked as a physician such as “how do I build a new habit?” "which habits are essential to get healthy again?" "what can I do to lose weight?" "how can I look and feel younger again?" "how can I start exercising again if I haven't done it in years?" and more. I will also be coaching patients and clients live on-air, and conducting interviews with other health & wellness experts. Of course, I am always open to new topic ideas, so if there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com. Today Dr. Michele explains "Why Taking Care of Your Five Senses is Vital to Feeling Young." I hope you enjoy the show! About Dr. Michele: As a physician & surgeon, certified Ayurvedic and Autoimmune health coach, yin yoga teacher, anatomy & physiology professor, and overall health & wellness expert, Dr. Michele Summers Colon is an Advocate for Women's Health. Her passion is helping women help themselves to heal their body. She is the author of Body Wisdom: 10 Weeks to Transformation, the creator and host of the Body Wisdom with Dr. Michele Podcast, and the leader of the Body Wisdom Membership Program. She has been interviewed and quoted in many prominent publications including USA Today, US News & World Reports, Health Magazine, Yahoo! Makers, and Bloomberg BusinessWeek. One of Dr. Michele’s greatest strengths is her ability to help women create balanced, healthy lives by looking at the whole picture. She combines the best of Eastern and Western medicine to create individualized health & wellness plans for her patients and clients. For 25 years, Dr. Michele has dedicated herself to maintaining a private medical practice and providing exceptional care to her patients while at the same time studying holisitic and integrative medicine. Dr. Michele believes that food is medicine and that yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation are the keys to perfect health. Dr. Michele has a Bachelor’s degree in Physiology from UCBerkeley, a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and a Doctorate degree in Podiatry from Barry University, and graduated from a Foot & Ankle Surgical Residency in Los Angeles. Dr. Michele is also certified in Ayurvedic as well as Autoimmune Health Coaching, Yoga, Reiki, Reflexology, and Laser Therapy. Dr. Michele specializes in Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Therapeutic Yoga to provide the most healing, relaxation, and rejuvenation to her patients and clients. Dr. Michele has studied Ayurvedic Medicine extensively and has worked with some of the best practitioners throughout the United States to bring Ayurveda to the forefront of medicine. Combining yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation is one of Dr. Michele’s passions so that she can spread the word to as many people as possible that this is the path to perfect health. Show Notes: Last week we talked about the mouth and the nose.  Now for part 2 of "Why Taking Care of Your Senses is Vital to Feeling Young" let’s move on to eyes. Our eyes can get really tired in today’s world. So let’s talk about some Eye Care Practices. Let’s do it together, unless youre driving. 1. The first one is called Figure 8’s: Roll your eyes in figure 8’s for 10 slow easy breaths. This simple therapy increases the flexibility of your extra-ocular muscles. Smile and relax while you do your eye exercises which releases tension in your eyes. Don’t over do it. If you feel strain in your eyes at all, back off. 2. The next one is called Palming: Rub your hands together to generate heat. Place your right fingers on top of your left fingers. Gently place your hands over your eyes, applying no pressure. Relax for 10-15 breaths to release unnecessary tension from your body. Notice the darkness and the light pressure. You are giving your eyes a little break. You are now pulsating between lightness and darkness. Notice if your body starts to relax. You might yawn and feel a deeper relaxation. Now let go of your hands and simply notice if your body is more relaxed. 3. Next, we are going to Zoom Out: This exercise is recommended especially for individuals who suffer from computer vision syndrome, but it can also help relax the eyes after any other strenuous activity. Choose an object that is located six to ten meters away from you, and focus on it for about twenty seconds, without moving your head. Doing so provides rest to the ciliary muscles that we tend to put a lot of stress on when we focus intensely on the computer screen. 4. Now we are going to Zoom in: This simple (and somewhat hilarious) exercise can be performed by holding a pencil in front of you at arm’s length, then slowly moving the arm closer to the nose, while focusing your eyes on the tip of the pencil. The goal is to bring the tip of pencil as close to the nose as possible, until your eyes can’t keep focus. Doing this exercise ten times in a row helps improve eye movement control and strengthens the eye muscles. 5. Next is Repeated blinking: This simple action, that we often take for granted, plays a vital role in eye health and vision — it replenishes the tear film that covers the surface of the eye (the cornea), lubricating it and protecting it against dryness, dust particles and other irritants. Some research shows that when we watch TV or use the computer, we tend to blink less, which dries and irritates the eyes, potentially causing headaches and other types of discomfort. Blinking every three or four seconds for about a minute is thought to help reduce eye strain by clearing the cornea and allowing the eyes to rest. 6. Finally we are going to Look At The Horizon: We are going to look outside, so if you are inside you may want to stand by a window. You are going to look as far as your eyes can see. What do you see on the horizon? You may be able to see the mountains miles away or you may only be able to see the building across the street and the sky. If that’s the case, look at where the building meets the sky. You may be able to look up and see the clouds which are also miles and miles away. Allow your eyes to zone out or space out. It’s really important to look at nature like mountains, the sky, clouds. We want to take in elements straight from the elements. As you do this, release your eyeball into the back of the eye socket, just as you did with Palming. It should feel relaxed, not strained or bugged out. So we just did a few minutes of eye practices, we did not spend a huge amount of time on them. If you’re someone who uses the computer a lot, pulsate your work on the computer with spacing out and looking at the horizon. Set a buzzer for an hour when you’re working or every 20 minutes and just stand up from your desk, walk to a window, and look at the horizon. There is another eye therapy that you can do at home using eye goggles and organic ghee. Melt the ghee to body temperature, fill your goggles with the ghee, lay down with your head on a towel, and open your eyes. This is a great therapy that lets your eyes relax backward, it’s great for anyone with dry eyes, it’s very nourishing and amazing to experience. You can do it as often as you want. Don’t do it if you’ve had eye surgery. You can also do this practice at an Ayurvedic clinic or spa using a dough dam called Netra Basti therapy. It’s placed over the eye and ghee is poured into it. It is usually done after another therapy like a massage or a full body steam. The goggles version is like a home version of this. Let’s move on to the ears now. There is a simple therapy of putting warm sesame oil into the ears. Put an old towel under the head. It’s an amazing therapy at the seasonal junctures. The ears are ether. They are extremely light. This is a very deeply nourishing therapy for the ears. It’s more of a water earth therapy, so it’s very grounding; it decreases sensitivity throughout the entire NS. It is a very subtle and sublime therapy. You can also do it by putting a few drops of oil on your fingertips as you do your self-massage. Then put your fingertips into the ears and do a few little circles with your fingers. It opens up the cervical lymphatics. You’ll be able to oil your ears in a faster way. If you have kids, do this practice every month. Have them lay there for 3 minutes, then flip over and do the other side. Make sure you have an old towel under their head. We already covered Skin, or touch, in the habit of self-massage in Episode #83 because it’s such a big habit. Doing each of the other sense organ care practices doesn’t take you much time at all, except in the very beginning when you are learning how to do them. Doing tongue scraping is only going to take you 10 seconds, neti pot is only going to take a minute, putting a few drops of oil in your ears is only going to take you a few seconds, eye care practices is only going to take a minute or two. Pick out what you want to do now. Which one can you do now easiest? Which one can you start incorporating into your day now? Remember that your little habits are always triggered by something else like brushing your teeth or sitting down at your computer. So write down right now which one of these microhabits of sense organ care are the most important to you and which ones you can start doing right now this month. Click here for: Your 5 Senses Tip Sheet. Namaste, Dr. Michele ****************************** If there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com or schedule a coaching call with me so we can dive deeper to find out what is going on and come up with a plan of action for you: drmichele.com/schedule Today’s show was brought to you by the Body Wisdom Membership Program. For more information, head on over to my website drmichele.com and click on the JOIN NOW or WORK WITH ME tab. All of the information is there about my group programs as well as 1:1 coaching. If you have questions about your health that you would like me to answer on air, you can email them to me or go to my website drmichele.com/get in touch to contact my team. If you have questions you’d like to discuss with me directly, sign up for a coaching call at drmichele.com/schedule.

#88 Why Taking Care of Your Five Senses is Vital to Feeling Young, Part 2

#87 Why Taking Care of Your Five Senses is Vital to Feeling Young, Part 1

Welcome to Season 3 of the Body Wisdom Podcast with Dr. Michele. This season the podcast we're focusing on healthy habits. As your host, I’ll be recording solo episodes which will answer some of the most common questions I’m asked as a physician such as “how do I build a new habit?” "which habits are essential to get healthy again?" "what can I do to lose weight?" "how can I look and feel younger again?" "how can I start exercising again if I haven't done it in years?" and more. I will also be coaching patients and clients live on-air, and conducting interviews with other health & wellness experts. Of course, I am always open to new topic ideas, so if there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com. Today Dr. Michele tells her story and how she healed from autoimmune disease. Enjoy the show! About Dr. Michele: As a physician & surgeon, certified Ayurvedic and Autoimmune health coach, yoga teacher, anatomy & physiology professor, and overall health & wellness expert, Dr. Michele Summers Colon is an Advocate for Women's Health. Her passion is helping women help themselves to heal their body. She is the author of Body Wisdom: 10 Weeks to Transformation, the creator and host of the Body Wisdom with Dr. Michele Podcast, and the leader of the Body Wisdom Membership Program. She has been interviewed and quoted in many prominent publications including USA Today, US News & World Reports, Health Magazine, Yahoo! Makers, and Bloomberg BusinessWeek. One of Dr. Michele’s greatest strengths is her ability to help women create balanced, healthy lives by looking at the whole picture. She combines the best of Eastern and Western medicine to create individualized health & wellness plans for her patients and clients. For 25 years, Dr. Michele has dedicated herself to maintaining a private medical practice and providing exceptional care to her patients while at the same time studying holisitic and integrative medicine. Dr. Michele believes that food is medicine and that yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation are the keys to perfect health. Dr. Michele has a Bachelor’s degree in Physiology from UCBerkeley, a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and a Doctorate degree in Podiatry from Barry University, and graduated from a Foot & Ankle Surgical Residency in Los Angeles. Dr. Michele is also certified in Ayurvedic as well as Autoimmune Health Coaching, Yoga, Reiki, Reflexology, and Laser Therapy. Dr. Michele specializes in Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Therapeutic Yoga to provide the most healing, relaxation, and rejuvenation to her patients and clients. Dr. Michele has studied Ayurvedic Medicine extensively and has worked with some of the best practitioners throughout the United States to bring Ayurveda to the forefront of medicine. Combining yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation is one of Dr. Michele’s passions so that she can spread the word to as many people as possible that this is the path to perfect health. Show Notes:  Dr. Michele shares her personal story of how she healed her body from pain and autoimmune issues, including Crohn's disease, interstitial cystitis, sciatica, migraines, and insomnia.  Here is part of her story: Before I found Ayurveda, I was sleep-deprived, overly stressed, and overweight. Like you, I wanted to eat well. I wanted to feel good in my body and work out daily, but I just couldn’t get it together. As a busy working mom who owned her own business, I had a lot of responsibilities and I put everyone else first.   It got so bad that I developed two autoimmune diseases that I needed to address before I ended up in the hospital or worse. Doctor after doctor told me that I needed strong medications or surgeries to treat the Crohn’s disease and interstitial cystitis that were taking over my body. That was what it took for me to get my life and my health in order. That was when I found Ayurveda and yoga, and that is when I healed my body.   I don’t want it to get that bad for you. I can help you before it gets to that point. Let’s do this. Together. We can hold space for each other and for the other women in the membership, and we can beat the things that are holding us down and making us sick. Click here to sign up for a conversation with Dr. Michele. Namaste, Dr. Michele ****************************** If there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com or schedule a coaching call with me so we can dive deeper to find out what is going on and come up with a plan of action for you: drmichele.com/schedule Today’s show was brought to you by the Body Wisdom Membership Program. For more information, head on over to my website drmichele.com and click on the JOIN NOW or WORK WITH ME tab. All of the information is there about my group programs as well as 1:1 coaching. If you have questions about your health that you would like me to answer on air, you can email them to me or go to my website drmichele.com/get in touch to contact my team. If you have questions you’d like to discuss with me directly, sign up for a coaching call at drmichele.com/schedule.

#86 Dr. Michele's Story: Healing From Autoimmune Disease

Welcome to Season 3 of the Body Wisdom Podcast with Dr. Michele. This season the podcast will be focusing on healthy habits. As your host, I’ll be recording solo episodes which will answer some of the most common questions I’m asked as a physician such as “how do I build a new habit?” "which habits are essential to get healthy again?" "what can I do to lose weight?" "how can I look and feel younger again?" "how can I start exercising again if I haven't done it in years?" and more. I will also be coaching patients and clients live on-air, and conducting interviews with other health & wellness experts. Of course, I am always open to new topic ideas, so if there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com. Today Dr. Michele discusses "Ayurvedic Guidelines for Healthy Eating." I hope you enjoy the show! About Dr. Michele: As a physician & surgeon, certified Ayurvedic and Autoimmune health coach, yoga/anatomy teacher, and overall health & wellness expert, Dr. Michele Summers Colon is an Advocate for Women's Health. Her passion is helping women help themselves to heal their body. She is the author of Body Wisdom: 10 Weeks to Transformation, the creator and host of the Body Wisdom with Dr. Michele Podcast, and the leader of the Body Wisdom Membership Program. She has been interviewed and quoted in many prominent publications including USA Today, US News & World Reports, Health Magazine, Yahoo! Makers, and Bloomberg BusinessWeek. One of Dr. Michele’s greatest strengths is her ability to help women create balanced, healthy lives by looking at the whole picture. She combines the best of Eastern and Western medicine to create individualized health & wellness plans for her patients and clients. For over 24 years, Dr. Michele has dedicated herself to maintaining a private medical practice and providing exceptional care to her patients while at the same time studying holisitic and integrative medicine. Dr. Michele believes that food is medicine and that yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation are the keys to perfect health. Dr. Michele has a Bachelor’s degree in Physiology from UCBerkeley, a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and a Doctorate degree in Podiatry from Barry University, and graduated from a Foot & Ankle Surgical Residency in Los Angeles. Dr. Michele is also certified in Ayurvedic as well as Autoimmune Health Coaching, Yoga, Reiki, Reflexology, and Laser Therapy. Dr. Michele specializes in Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Therapeutic Yoga to provide the most healing, relaxation, and rejuvenation to her patients and clients. Dr. Michele has studied Ayurvedic Medicine extensively and has worked with some of the best practitioners throughout the United States to bring Ayurveda to the forefront of medicine. Combining yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation is one of Dr. Michele’s passions so that she can spread the word to as many people as possible that this is the path to perfect health. Show Notes: There are a lot of ideas of how we should eat: eat 6 small meals a day, eat 3 meals a day, intermittent fasting, and the Ayurvedic theory of eating according to your dosha. Ayurvedic Theory: It’s based on the GI tract and how your digestive system works.  We create a backlog in the digestive tract if we meal stack, so we shouldn't eat one meal before the previous one is digested. It could look something like this: we have food in the large intestine that we ate 6 hours ago and food in the small intestine that we ate 4 hours ago and now we have food in the stomach that we just ate. This is causing a backup of food. If we eat something, it goes into the GI tract and is now sitting in the stomach being digested. If we then eat a snack a little while later, we have food in different phases of digestion, adding undigested food to partially digested food, which will then cause digestion to slow down and work harder to digest all of the food that are in these different stages of digestion. The problem with this is it doesn’t deal with the law of pulsation, between empty and full. When we have a lot of little frequent pulsations by eating several small meals in a day, we don’t get to experience true emptiness and true fullness. It also has to do with deep peace. There is a stillness that comes from emptiness, and there is a stillness that comes from fullness too. And we can really tell what we want when we’re really hungry. When you don’t know what you want to eat, like when you open the fridge or the pantry door and just stand there looking at the food choices and you can’t decide what to choose, you’re not really hungry; you are eating because of something emotional that’s going on. When you’re truly hungry, you will know what you want to eat and you will eat something. You are in tune with your desire. This is why yogis go into a fast at least twice a year, at the beginning of spring and the beginning of fall. Some of us do it four times a year, with the change of seasons. We detox to awaken our desire. Desire is smart. Smart desire is different from this kind of unsure desire. If you’re having an unsure desire to eat, not knowing what you want to eat or eating too many times in a day, you are just getting bounced around and you may think “oh I’ll just have another snack.” This desire to eat is not coming from being deeply hungry and wanting deep satiation. This is where a lot of cravings and addictions come from because we are not comfortable with the emptiness. We are not feeling that deep peace of stillness and emptiness. If you are not a meal stacker, you know the feeling of being ready to eat, of being ready to receive food, because you are empty. When you are empty, your blood sugar will shift your metabolism into a state of fat metabolism and you will be ready to replenish your blood sugar. With meal stacking, we may have food in all of these phases of digestion, and as these foods build up, there is less energy available for everything else. There is not even enough energy for the food that is coming in to be digested completely. So there is a backup or a traffic jam of food, and we don’t want that feeling. We want a feeling of clarity. Even after we have a big meal, we want to have the feeling of being ready to receive. We don’t want to feel exhausted after a big meal. When food is backed up, what happens next is that there is an accumulation of ama, or toxins. If you are more vata, you will have a vata accumulation in your colon. The feces will get dry and hard, it will push back up and you will end up getting bloating. You can even start having pressure on the heart muscle because there is no room for the heart to drop. When air is trapped, it gets hard. Imagine air in a balloon. When too much air is forced in, the balloon gets really hard. The same thing happens in your digestive tract when air gets trapped. The bloating is so intense that it will hurt and get really hard and feel like cramping. For pittas, there is a different kind of ama accumulation. It will get acidic. Either there will be loose feces if the pitta goes down or heartburn if the pitta goes up. Excess Kapha accumulates in the stomach, and Kapha is associated with heaviness and water and mucus, so there is a buildup of a feeling heaviness in the stomach. So Kapha will have a slow digestion and there won’t be much appetite. Because the entire digestive tract is all surrounded by blood vessels that are trying to get nutrients into the circulation, you can imagine how excess vata gets picked up from the colon and enters the blood as excess air, how excess pitta gets picked up from the small intestine and brings an acidic nature to the blood, and excess kapha gets picked up from the stomach and circulates heavy dense qualities in the blood. The excess vata will come down as gas in the colon through the anus or will go up as bloating as I mentioned before, the excess pitta will come up as hyperacidity or down as loose stool, and the excess kapha show up as excess mucus in the lungs and sinuses. Then the excess doshas will circulate in the blood and enter the mind. Vata will show up as anxiety or a feeling of being ungrounded or overwhelm, pitta will show up as irritation, and kapha will show up as depression or lethargy. And then they move on to the weak points in the body. They can end up in the joints and you wake up feeling ama in the morning as stiff joints. If we feel stiffness in our joints in the morning, this is a good sign that we want to go toward emptiness and we want to do deeper into our digestion to feel lighter. So we might want to start off with a green juice for breakfast, or take in more smoothies and soups, because these are lighter foods. This will allow the doshas to start to clear from the digestive tract. When the doshas build up in the GI tract because we’re meal stacking or because we are not eating at regular times, it’s not good because we are wasting so much energy. The doshas start to over accumulate and circulate in the blood, and then settle in the mind-body. This creates a backlog of stuff like those emotions I mentioned earlier (anxiety, irritation, or depression) in the mind as well. This is the emotional-gut reaction that so many people talk about now, but Ayurveda has known this for over a few thousand years. In terms of the doshas, eat twice a day if you’re kapha and eat 3x a day if you’re pitta or vata. If you’re convalescing or have a really weak digestive system, you can eat 4x a day. We want these pulsations to stabilize our meals. Eat regularly at the same time every day. Then agni (digestive fire) knows when to show up to digest our food. Main agni shows up in the middle of the day around lunchtime, so that is why we want to eat our biggest and heaviest meal for lunch. We want to fast in between meals. We should only be taking in water between meals. This is especially true between the evening meal and breakfast so there is more than 12 hours of fasting occurring during the night, when it is dark. We want to eat in daylight hours. There are some exceptions of course, like in winter when it’s dark before 6pm, that’s a great time to eat easily digestible food like broths, soups, and stews. Again, make sure to eat foods that are harder to digest at lunch when agni is strongest. It may sound straight forward and basic on the surface. Just eat mindfully. When we really do it, we start to see massive shifts. We will have to shift a lot of relationships, even if it is just our relationship with food or our relationship with ourselves and how we spend our time. Eating healthier is a trajectory. We never arrive. We simply become more wise at nourishing the complexity of who we are with the simplicity of our informed habits. Let’s go a little deeper into healthier eating guidelines. It really starts with feeling in touch with what our body wants. Do a body scan. Start with hands on your belly, and feel the breath. This is a simple way to tap into relaxed breathing. The idea is that we are in touch with what is going on inside, like how do I feel, where is my breath moving, how does my belly feel, how does my heart feel, how does my womb feel, how does my brain feel, how does my back feel, what would help me feel better, what emotions are present right now taking space, am I ready to receive or am I full, am I content, if I am ready to receive what am I ready to receive? Start there with the qualities, or the gunas. Am I ready for something that is heavy or light, do I want something that is warm or cool, what tastes would feel good right now, something spicy or sweet, do I want something soothing or energizing? In the most basic way, let’s notice what we really want if we are ready to receive, what does the body really want, let ourselves choose viscerally, trust our cravings, trust the body, be connected, and then enhance the connection. Eating is a celebration, even when our food is simple. These are some basic Ayurvedic healthier eating guidelines: Be hungry. Be ready to receive. Don’t confuse thirst and hunger. Drink room temperature water or warm water between meals to clarify this relationship. Eat really good nutrients for breakfast like a simple cereal or a green smoothie. Start out on track. Eat during daylight hours. Have a satisfying lunch. Notice the prana in your food. Don’t be distracted. Pause and experience gratitude. Love your food and those who prepared it before it becomes your body. Notice the tastes and how they change as they mix with your physiology. If you tend to overeat, focus on getting full with more senses than just your tongue. Or eat a big salad using orange juice for dressing with no fat. Fast between meals, drinking only water. Eat just as much and as frequently as your body needs. Be honest. Vatas eat 4 times per day, Pittas eat 3 times a day, and Kaphas eat 2 times a day. Relax after eating. After a big meal, rest for 15 minutes and then walk. Eat a light dinner, leaving time to digest before bed. Learn about your constitution. Eat for your individual needs. Eat your ecosystem. The outer ecosystem is becoming your inner ecosystem (your body). Simply honor what is happening, and the intelligence of the process will refine itself through you. Prepare your own food. Shop or harvest from your body’s needs and desires. Get on schedule. Eat green. Click here for your: Healthy Eating ebook. Namaste, Dr. Michele ****************************** If there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com or schedule a coaching call with me so we can dive deeper to find out what is going on and come up with a plan of action for you: drmichele.com/schedule Today’s show was brought to you by the Body Wisdom Membership Program. For more information, head on over to my website drmichele.com and click on the JOIN NOW or WORK WITH ME tab. All of the information is there about my group programs as well as 1:1 coaching. If you have questions about your health that you would like me to answer on air, you can email them to me or go to my website drmichele.com/get in touch to contact my team. If you have questions you’d like to discuss with me directly, sign up for a coaching call at drmichele.com/schedule.

#85 Ayurvedic Healthy Eating Guidelines

Welcome to Season 3 of the Body Wisdom Podcast with Dr. Michele. This season the podcast will be focusing on healthy habits. As your host, I’ll be recording solo episodes which will answer some of the most common questions I’m asked as a physician such as “how do I build a new habit?” "which habits are essential to get healthy again?" "what can I do to lose weight?" "how can I look and feel younger again?" "how can I start exercising again if I haven't done it in years?" and more. I will also be coaching patients and clients live on-air, and conducting interviews with other health & wellness experts. Of course, I am always open to new topic ideas, so if there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com. Today Dr. Michele discusses "Sitting in Silence" I hope you enjoy the show! About Dr. Michele: As a physician & surgeon, certified Ayurvedic and Autoimmune health coach, yoga/anatomy teacher, and overall health & wellness expert, Dr. Michele Summers Colon is an Advocate for Women's Health. Her passion is helping women help themselves to heal their body. She is the author of Body Wisdom: 10 Weeks to Transformation, the creator and host of the Body Wisdom with Dr. Michele Podcast, and the leader of the Body Wisdom Membership Program. She has been interviewed and quoted in many prominent publications including USA Today, US News & World Reports, Health Magazine, Yahoo! Makers, and Bloomberg BusinessWeek. One of Dr. Michele’s greatest strengths is her ability to help women create balanced, healthy lives by looking at the whole picture. She combines the best of Eastern and Western medicine to create individualized health & wellness plans for her patients and clients. For over 24 years, Dr. Michele has dedicated herself to maintaining a private medical practice and providing exceptional care to her patients while at the same time studying holisitic and integrative medicine. Dr. Michele believes that food is medicine and that yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation are the keys to perfect health. Dr. Michele has a Bachelor’s degree in Physiology from UCBerkeley, a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and a Doctorate degree in Podiatry from Barry University, and graduated from a Foot & Ankle Surgical Residency in Los Angeles. Dr. Michele is also certified in Ayurvedic as well as Autoimmune Health Coaching, Yoga, Reiki, Reflexology, and Laser Therapy. Dr. Michele specializes in Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Therapeutic Yoga to provide the most healing, relaxation, and rejuvenation to her patients and clients. Dr. Michele has studied Ayurvedic Medicine extensively and has worked with some of the best practitioners throughout the United States to bring Ayurveda to the forefront of medicine. Combining yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation is one of Dr. Michele’s passions so that she can spread the word to as many people as possible that this is the path to perfect health. Show Notes: What does regular meditation mean to you? Is it daily? Is it daily for 5 minutes or 20 minutes? What happens when you don’t practice for a while? Do you feel more spiritually disconnected? Do you feel less in control? Do you get more depressed? Do you get more busy? Do you feel like you are just skating on the surface of life? Does life go by too fast? Do you feel more anxious? Notice what has happened to you when you practice and when you don’t practice.   Why does meditation work? There are research studies on why it works. Daily mindfulness practice has been proven to increase tuolumerase, the caps on the end of our genes, which can reduce cell damage and lengthen our lives. What are the benefits of meditation? It boosts our immune system so we can fight off disease better, from the flu to cancer. Some of the effects of meditation: improved focus, better concentration, better communication, improved relationships, clarity of thinking, we feel safer, we have less accidents, more precision, more clear with our intentions, more efficient, more aware of how we feel and what we say, more conscious in our relationships, especially when we are in a state of transition. There are more spiritual effects too, such as more peace of mind, more sense of flow, more faith, more access to intuition, more self-confidence, better insight, more discipline, more caring, more calmness. Physically, the benefits include reducing stress, more gene repair, balanced heart rate, lower blood pressure. Why are you meditating? Is it because you think you should do it? We will have a shift in our meditation practice and we will make it more effective if we know why we are doing it. Focus on it before you start. Ask yourself, “why should I meditate today?” Notice what comes in. Ask yourself, “why do I need to meditate today?” Now ask, “why do others in my life need me to mediate today?” Go one more level and ask “why does the cosmos or the world or the universe need me to meditate today?” Allow insight to come in. We have a responsibility to ourselves, to the others in our life, and to the universe itself to step into a more conscious life, to be more aware. We know the massive benefits that happen from meditation. Because the benefits are so great, the stakes are high. No one has time to meditate really. But we have to make it so important that we do have time to meditate. We have to make the time. That’s the paradox. The busier that life gets, the more important it is to take some time out of our day to just sit and become aware of awareness itself. When we do that, we experience these benefits -- not just us, but the others in our life, our relationships, and the whole of life as well. Click here for your: Meditation ebook. Namaste, Dr. Michele ****************************** If there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com or schedule a coaching call with me so we can dive deeper to find out what is going on and come up with a plan of action for you: drmichele.com/schedule Today’s show was brought to you by the Body Wisdom Membership Program. For more information, head on over to my website drmichele.com and click on the JOIN NOW or WORK WITH ME tab. All of the information is there about my group programs as well as 1:1 coaching. If you have questions about your health that you would like me to answer on air, you can email them to me or go to my website drmichele.com/get in touch to contact my team. If you have questions you’d like to discuss with me directly, sign up for a coaching call at drmichele.com/schedule.  

#84 Sitting in Silence

Welcome to Season 3 of the Body Wisdom Podcast with Dr. Michele. This season the podcast will be focusing on healthy habits. As your host, I’ll be recording solo episodes which will answer some of the most common questions I’m asked as a physician such as “how do I build a new habit?” "which habits are essential to get healthy again?" "what can I do to lose weight?" "how can I look and feel younger again?" "how can I start exercising again if I haven't done it in years?" and more. I will also be coaching patients and clients live on-air, and conducting interviews with other health & wellness experts. Of course, I am always open to new topic ideas, so if there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com. Today Dr. Michele answers the question "Why Is Self-Massage So Important?" I hope you enjoy the show! About Dr. Michele: As a physician & surgeon, certified Ayurvedic and Autoimmune health coach, yoga/anatomy teacher, and overall health & wellness expert, Dr. Michele Summers Colon is an Advocate for Women's Health. Her passion is helping women help themselves to heal their body. She is the author of Body Wisdom: 10 Weeks to Transformation, the creator and host of the Body Wisdom with Dr. Michele Podcast, and the leader of the Body Wisdom Membership Program. She has been interviewed and quoted in many prominent publications including USA Today, US News & World Reports, Health Magazine, Yahoo! Makers, and Bloomberg BusinessWeek. One of Dr. Michele’s greatest strengths is her ability to help women create balanced, healthy lives by looking at the whole picture. She combines the best of Eastern and Western medicine to create individualized health & wellness plans for her patients and clients. For over 24 years, Dr. Michele has dedicated herself to maintaining a private medical practice and providing exceptional care to her patients while at the same time studying holisitic and integrative medicine. Dr. Michele believes that food is medicine and that yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation are the keys to perfect health. Dr. Michele has a Bachelor’s degree in Physiology from UCBerkeley, a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and a Doctorate degree in Podiatry from Barry University, and graduated from a Foot & Ankle Surgical Residency in Los Angeles. Dr. Michele is also certified in Ayurvedic as well as Autoimmune Health Coaching, Yoga, Reiki, Reflexology, and Laser Therapy. Dr. Michele specializes in Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Therapeutic Yoga to provide the most healing, relaxation, and rejuvenation to her patients and clients. Dr. Michele has studied Ayurvedic Medicine extensively and has worked with some of the best practitioners throughout the United States to bring Ayurveda to the forefront of medicine. Combining yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation is one of Dr. Michele’s passions so that she can spread the word to as many people as possible that this is the path to perfect health. Show Notes: Why is self-massge so important? Because our hands are healing. In Ayurveda, the left side is the feminine or the goddess, and the right side is the masculine or the god. And we use them both to create unity. Self-massage is a very topical habit, but it is also about creating unity consciousness by bringing all the body parts into one. Self-massage makes your whole body feel better. In Ayurveda, daily self-massage is called Abhyanga and is part of how to have a body. We should be doing it every day. We can change our aging trajectory by doing self-massage every day. We can actually break up scar tissue and increase the flexibility of our skin and joints. What you put on your skin affects how you touch your skin, and how you touch your skin affects how you feel, your self-confidence. From research we know that self-massage helps us feel more grounded in our body, we feel like we have more control of our body, it affects how we age, and it deeply affects self-esteem and how we feel about ourselves. Your identity starts to shift as you get more grounded in the layers of tissues in the body. In Ayurveda, we know that we have 7 layers of tissues, or the 7 dahtus. We are affecting all 7 layers of tissues when we perform self-massage on our body, from the bones to the nerves to the reproductive fluids. This is huge for people dealing with fertility, birth, and even menopause as we start to recycle some of the hormones and fluids of our body. Self-massage affects all the levels of the body and moves stuck energy in all levels of the body, including the subtle body, the physical body, the energy body, the mind, the emotional body, the intuitive body, and the bliss body. For people with low energy, we can do it in a way that energizes the body using vigorous strokes. We can do a dry brush massage to energize the body too. The more you use your hands to touch your body, the more you will know about your body and the more intuitive you will feel. Let’s talk for a minute about the issue of touch. Some people are touch averse and don’t want to touch themselves. It could be from a history of abuse or other psychological or physical issues. If this is true for you, just stay with the feet. Just start here. Do your foot massage with oil before bed every single night. And this habit of self-massage can actually be a healing process for you, beginning with your foot massage and then moving up to your arms and legs and then moving on to using oils mixed with essential oils. You can even make your own body oil (see downloads below).  Dry Brushing: Some people are oil averse and just don’t like oil on their body. If your body is really oily already, you are fine to just dry brush (could be true for Kaphas), but if you are Vata, your skin is probably dry and needs the oil. It stimulates your circulation. Resistance can come up about giving up lotion vs using oil. Our skin absorbs 60% of what we put on our body. Lotions have toxins, carcinogens, pesticides, and preservatives in them so we want to avoid using lotions on our body, especially Vata types with rough dry skin (because they will absorb so much more of it). We want to use oils which are pure and free of these ingredients like raw, virgin organic, cold-pressed, or first cold pressed oils (it hasn’t been through a heat process to change its chemical composition). This also applies to make-up and anything else we put on our skin like sunscreens.  In summary, start with your feet. Make your own oils. Do it everyday, even if it's just for a minute each day. Make it part of your daily routine.  For podcast listeners, I have created some easy-to-follow instructions for you…to help you learn how to massage yourself. This is self-care at the next level! Also included in this instant download is a cheat sheet, showing you how to make your own massage oil. Click here for your: Self-Massage Instructions.   Namaste, Dr. Michele ****************************** If there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com or schedule a coaching call with me so we can dive deeper to find out what is going on and come up with a plan of action for you: drmichele.com/schedule Today’s show was brought to you by the Body Wisdom Membership Program. For more information, head on over to my website drmichele.com and click on the JOIN NOW or WORK WITH ME tab. All of the information is there about my group programs as well as 1:1 coaching. If you have questions about your health that you would like me to answer on air, you can email them to me or go to my website drmichele.com/get in touch to contact my team. If you have questions you’d like to discuss with me directly, sign up for a coaching call at drmichele.com/schedule.     Contact Information and Important Links for Dr. Michele: Dr. Michele can be found online or by email. Dr. Michele is currently accepting new 1:1 coaching clients as well as new members into her Body Wisdom Membership Program.  If you have questions about the Body Wisdom Membership Program or about how you can make lifestyles changes to improve your health, check out the Dr. Michele website or sign up for a coaching call with Dr. Michele here: drmichele.com/schedule Namaste, Dr. Michele Here's Where You Find Dr. Michele: website - drmichele.com email - dr.michele.colon@gmail.com twitter - @doctormichele facebook - @doctormichele instagram - @drmichele

#83 Why Is Self-Massage So Important?

Welcome to Season 3 of the Body Wisdom Podcast with Dr. Michele. This season the podcast will be focusing on healthy habits. As your host, I’ll be recording solo episodes which will answer some of the most common questions I’m asked as a physician such as “how do I build a new habit?” "which habits are essential to get healthy again?" "what can I do to lose weight?" "how can I look and feel younger again?" "how can I start exercising again if I haven't done it in years?" and more. I will also be coaching patients and clients live on-air, and conducting interviews with other health & wellness experts. Of course, I am always open to new topic ideas, so if there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com. Today Dr. Michele discusses "The Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet." I hope you enjoy the show! About Dr. Michele: As a physician & surgeon, certified Ayurvedic and Autoimmune health coach, yoga/anatomy teacher, and overall health & wellness expert, Dr. Michele Summers Colon is an Advocate for Women's Health. Her passion is helping women help themselves to heal their body. She is the author of Body Wisdom: 10 Weeks to Transformation, the creator and host of the Body Wisdom with Dr. Michele Podcast, and the leader of the Body Wisdom Membership Program. She has been interviewed and quoted in many prominent publications including USA Today, US News & World Reports, Health Magazine, Yahoo! Makers, and Bloomberg BusinessWeek. One of Dr. Michele’s greatest strengths is her ability to help women create balanced, healthy lives by looking at the whole picture. She combines the best of Eastern and Western medicine to create individualized health & wellness plans for her patients and clients. For over 24 years, Dr. Michele has dedicated herself to maintaining a private medical practice and providing exceptional care to her patients while at the same time studying holisitic and integrative medicine. Dr. Michele believes that food is medicine and that yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation are the keys to perfect health. Dr. Michele has a Bachelor’s degree in Physiology from UCBerkeley, a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and a Doctorate degree in Podiatry from Barry University, and graduated from a Foot & Ankle Surgical Residency in Los Angeles. Dr. Michele is also certified in Ayurvedic as well as Autoimmune Health Coaching, Yoga, Reiki, Reflexology, and Laser Therapy. Dr. Michele specializes in Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Therapeutic Yoga to provide the most healing, relaxation, and rejuvenation to her patients and clients. Dr. Michele has studied Ayurvedic Medicine extensively and has worked with some of the best practitioners throughout the United States to bring Ayurveda to the forefront of medicine. Combining yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation is one of Dr. Michele’s passions so that she can spread the word to as many people as possible that this is the path to perfect health. Show Notes: This season we are going to be talking about Healthy Habits so that we can feel younger and healthier. When we talk about what we eat, we all seem to have a method and an opinion. We are in the day and age of personalization — and this extends to diet. “I’m a vegan,” or “I’m into paleo,” or “I need to eat animal flesh to function.” Around here, we’re less interested in labels and we’re more interested in the relationship between humans and the plants that feed us. In this habit, we turn our attention to taking your relationship between plants and your body to the next level of integration. Eating a plant-based diet is about the relationship between our outer ecosystem, where our food grows, and our inner ecosystem. How you source your body’s energy and what you build your body’s tissue out of is of obvious importance. We each have the opportunity to nourish and nurture ourselves from the outside in... and from the inside out. The first activity is to check out where you are in the spectrum of how you feed yourself. Once you know where you are starting, the next action step reveals itself on your path to a healthier and more conscious body. Next, investigate your relationship between your body and where you source your energy. You’ll become more aware of the exchange of consciousness, energy, and nutrients between the bodies of plants and your body. It’s a process full of nourishment — not deprivation. This relationship with our food and nature is very deeply tied to stress. Nature is trying to feed you. If we have the world view that life itself is nourishing, then we can’t really experience stress. The more connected we are to nature, the more connected we are to the plants, and the more nourishing we are to plants, then the more we understand that nature is trying to feed us. Foraging and Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi describes the lost art of turning locally gathered wild plants into nutritious, delicious meals - a tradition long practiced by our ancestors but neglected in modern times. Do you know which local plants and flowers are edible in your local ecosystem? Eat the poppies. They're edible. It’s like “Wow, there is more! Nature is trying to feed me. All I have to do is tap in and get connected.” Where do you feel it in your body? When you go to the grocery store or to the farmers market to shop for your fruits and vegetables, go to the ones that are calling you. Go to the ones that you feel in your body that you want, and then buy those. “Your body knows before your mind does.” Connection Economy is all about your connection, your nourishment. At different levels of consciousness, we start to desire different levels of consciousness from our food. Let’s talk about programming and patterning: How many of us were programmed, at a young age, to accept some really damaging things, like “eat everything that you’re served”, “don’t waste food because there are starving kids in Africa”, “you can’t leave the table until you’ve finished everything on your plate”, “eat it even if you don’t like it because I made it for you”, “if you don’t eat the food I made for you then you must not love me or care about me”, “I slaved all day cooking for you so you better eat all of it”? Do any of these ring true for you? Do you feel nourished by your diet? Has it always been this way? Was there a pivot? What was one of your pivots? When we talk about nourishment, connection, and abundance, most of us were not taught this. We were taught so many words that don’t have immediate resonate with our bodies; they’re words that the sensual body doesn’t communicate with such as calories, carbs, vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fats. Let’s review the six tastes in Ayurveda. They are sweet, salty, sour, pungent, bitter, and astringent. When your doshas are out of balance, these six tastes can help you repair this imbalance. If you are healthy, Ayurveda advises you to include each of these six tastes in your diet. These six tastes will bring you into contact with the five elements and, in turn, these elements are the components of your body and your entire nature. If you’re missing a taste in a meal, you won’t feel nourished. And then you will crave that taste later, leading to snacking between meals and over eating. Plants want to nourish us. As they nourish us, we nourish them. Plants can help heal us. As they do, we can help to provide a thriving environment for the plants. It’s a co-creative communal connecting relationship. Dirt is a good movie. It explores the relationship between humans and soil, including its necessity for human life and impacts by society. Forks Over Knives is another good movie. It advocates a plant-based diet as a way to avoid or reverse several chronic diseases. People don’t feel that nourished. Some people have fear around food. They are so disconnected that they react to foods. They can’t change anything. Their immune systems are more broken down. The 3 stages of diets: In stage 1, the Standard American Diet, you eat vegetables, fruit, meat, dairy, wheat, processed foods, refined sweeteners, and standard whole foods. You may use alcohol, caffeine, marijuana or nicotine on daily basis. Most food comes from outside your ecosystem, from mega farms. GMO’s and petrochemicals are in the foods, which create internal pollution and cellular confusion. There is a large carbon footprint per nutrient value. There is a lot of disconnect and addiction. When we bless our food, we feel connected. When we don’t feel connected, we often have addictions to try to help us feel connected. Did you grow up saying grace at mealtimes? In Ayurveda, it is typical to bless the land for providing the food, to bless the farmers for growing the food and collecting it from the crops, to bless the person who cooked the food for us (if we didn’t cook it ourselves). This is done at each meal along with taking a moment to close our eyes, take a deep breath in and out, and say “Namaste” (the light in me sees the light in you). In stage 2, the Whole Foods Diet, you eat less and less processed food over time. You’re steering away from canned, packaged and frozen foods, and you’re choosing fresh foods more often. You know how to prepare food that is simple and nourishing. You are curious about adding different plants to your diet. You eat fruits and vegetables daily. You may garden or sprout to get fresher nutrients. You may be involved in a CSA, food co-op, or farmer’s market. In stage 3, the Plant Based Diet, you may eat mostly green vegetables, root vegetables, fruits, seeds. You may eat some grains, legumes, nuts, and animals — but in less quantity over time. You prepare most of the food you eat — and intuitively know what your body wants and needs. You get food at farmer’s markets, or a CSA. You know what plants thrive in your ecosystem and extend their immune system to you. You know where your food comes from. You eat what makes your body feel good regardless of the social situation. You find you don’t need as much food as you get older. You leave room for space while eating and between meals. You like to sprout your sprouts, culture your veggies, and grow edible plants in or in and around your home. You enjoy learning from people who are playing their edge with diet. When we are eating from our own ecosystem, those plants are healing. They are hardy and they make us feel more hardy. They make us feel more safe and more relaxed. They boost our immune system, and we don’t have to get flu shots. We are building strength from our ecosystem. Are you feeling nourished, and are you eating from your own ecosystem? Ask yourself if you can you identify each part of the plant in everything you ate yesterday. If you can’t, then it’s processed. What are some of the mental and emotional patterns associated with this? It’s like a war going on in your head. “I know I shouldn’t eat this” but some part of your body accepts it. There are so many chemicals added that there is an addiction. There is so much confusion. You may need a detox. The easiest way to detox is to start adding more of the good stuff, the greens. Basically, more plants and less processed foods.  Are you starting to feel a shift toward automation with your habits? Good habits are not decisions, but rather are automatic routines based on prior conscious decisions. Automation frees up a lot of energy. Resistance comes up all the time. The resistance isn’t you, it comes from outside of you. It is probably negative and not in alignment with your fundamental goals. It doesn’t matter what the resistance or the physical body says, for example, it’s time to get up and exercise. The payoff worksheet goes deep to help you see why some habits are harder to change and what their relationship is to the resistance. For podcast listeners, I have created an awesome download to help you keep track of the plant species you eat. This will help you add more species into your diet, slowly but surely, which is the way we build healthy (and sustainable) habits. And, as promised, I have a second download for you, listing the benefits of eaing a plant-based diet. This would be a good one to print out and display in a place where you will see it at least once a day, helping you to build your habit of eating more of a plant-based diet. Click here your Plant-Based Diet downloads. Namaste, Dr. Michele ****************************** If there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com or schedule a coaching call with me so we can dive deeper to find out what is going on and come up with a plan of action for you: drmichele.com/schedule Today’s show was brought to you by the Body Wisdom Membership Program. For more information, head on over to my website drmichele.com and click on the JOIN NOW or WORK WITH ME tab. All of the information is there about my group programs as well as 1:1 coaching. If you have questions about your health that you would like me to answer on air, you can email them to me or go to my website drmichele.com/get in touch to contact my team. If you have questions you’d like to discuss with me directly, sign up for a coaching call at drmichele.com/schedule.     Contact Information and Important Links for Dr. Michele: Dr. Michele can be found online or by email. Dr. Michele is currently accepting new 1:1 coaching clients as well as new members into her Body Wisdom Membership Program.  If you have questions about the Body Wisdom Membership Program or about how you can make lifestyles changes to improve your health, check out the Dr. Michele website or sign up for a coaching call with Dr. Michele here: drmichele.com/schedule Namaste, Dr. Michele Here's Where You Find Dr. Michele: website - drmichele.com email - dr.michele.colon@gmail.com twitter - @doctormichele facebook - @doctormichele instagram - @drmichele

#82 The Benefits of a Plant-Based DIet

Welcome to Season 3 of the Body Wisdom Podcast with Dr. Michele. This season the podcast will be focusing on healthy habits. As your host, I’ll be recording solo episodes which will answer some of the most common questions I’m asked as a physician such as “how do I build a new habit?” "which habits are essential to get healthy again?" "what can I do to lose weight?" "how can I look and feel younger again?" "how can I start exercising again if I haven't done it in years?" and more. I will also be coaching patients and clients live on-air, and conducting interviews with other health & wellness experts. Of course, I am always open to new topic ideas, so if there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com. Today Dr. Michele discusses "Movement, Breathing and Exercise." I hope you enjoy the show! About Dr. Michele: As a physician & surgeon, certified Ayurvedic and Autoimmune health coach, yoga/anatomy teacher, and overall health & wellness expert, Dr. Michele Summers Colon is an Advocate for Women's Health. Her passion is helping women help themselves to heal their body. She is the author of Body Wisdom: 10 Weeks to Transformation, the creator and host of the Body Wisdom with Dr. Michele Podcast, and the leader of the Body Wisdom Membership Program. She has been interviewed and quoted in many prominent publications including USA Today, US News & World Reports, Health Magazine, Yahoo! Makers, and Bloomberg BusinessWeek. One of Dr. Michele’s greatest strengths is her ability to help women create balanced, healthy lives by looking at the whole picture. She combines the best of Eastern and Western medicine to create individualized health & wellness plans for her patients and clients. For over 24 years, Dr. Michele has dedicated herself to maintaining a private medical practice and providing exceptional care to her patients while at the same time studying holisitic and integrative medicine. Dr. Michele believes that food is medicine and that yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation are the keys to perfect health. Dr. Michele has a Bachelor’s degree in Physiology from UCBerkeley, a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and a Doctorate degree in Podiatry from Barry University, and graduated from a Foot & Ankle Surgical Residency in Los Angeles. Dr. Michele is also certified in Ayurvedic as well as Autoimmune Health Coaching, Yoga, Reiki, Reflexology, and Laser Therapy. Dr. Michele specializes in Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Therapeutic Yoga to provide the most healing, relaxation, and rejuvenation to her patients and clients. Dr. Michele has studied Ayurvedic Medicine extensively and has worked with some of the best practitioners throughout the United States to bring Ayurveda to the forefront of medicine. Combining yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation is one of Dr. Michele’s passions so that she can spread the word to as many people as possible that this is the path to perfect health. Show Notes: This season we are going to be talking about Healthy Habits so that we can feel younger and healthier. When it comes to getting your body moving, set things up the night before. Set your work out clothes where you’ll see them. Make it hard not to do the new behavior. When you’re highly motivated, maybe you can look up some exercise videos on youtube that you like, and you can save the ones you like. There are natural periods of low and high motivation. Do the hard things when you have high motivation. We don’t want to expect ourselves to be highly motivated. We don’t want to set ourselves up for failure, so do the super easy thing that sets you up as fail proof for each habit. We want to do baby steps for change. Make it so easy that you can’t say no. It is not about motivation; it is about the small changes sequenced right. We are lining up with nature’s rhythms to have better energy, better rest, and better eating habits. Ayurveda and exercise physiology: it’s important to exercise during the Kapha time of day because it’s the densest part of the day, so we will get less imbalances. If we don’t exercise during the strongest part of the day, then we don’t have enough prana and we get more imbalances. This is the time of day to get out of your sleepy body into your physical body. It’s important that we move 20 minutes a day before breakfast. How you move is less important. Daily Burn.com and other free fitness channels have many 15 minute workouts that you could try if you need some ideas or guidance on how to move your body. You’re going to create a pattern for the rest of your life. You can practice deep breathing (pranayama) first. It’s just 20 minutes, so that we can shift to fat metabolism for the whole day. It’s a non-negotiable. Right after drinking your water and eliminating, it is time to workout — before breakfast. It’s important to move your body before you put food in your body because your body will feel lighter and more energetic. Start with 1 minute. It will turn into 2 minutes. Then 5 minutes. Then 10 minutes. Then eventually 20 minutes. It could take a year to get there. That’s totally ok. If you’re a Vata, then your practice should give you the qualities that you want to feel for the rest of the day. Pittas don’t have any trouble with exercising, so this is an easy habit for them. For Kapha, your practice should leave you feeling light for the rest of the day (i.e. jumping). If you don't know your dosha, go online and take a quick dosha quiz to find out. Dr. Eric Grasser describes movement into 3 types: Hardening, Softening, and Cardio. And we have 3 body types: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. We can also have 3 intensities of workouts: Easy, Medium, and Hard. We need balance between hardening, softening, and cardio as well as between easy, medium, and hard workouts. Softening practices increase flexibility, sensitivity, and integration; and they also connect prana (i.e. yoga, water sports, recovery for athletes). Hardening practices are strengthening and can invigorate prana (i.e. weight training, kettle bells, important for bone density and decreasing osteoporosis). Cardio practices increase coordination, oxygenation, and circulation (i.e. running). All 3 types of practices increase circulation. If there are no easy workouts mixed in, you are going to get injured eventually. Vatas: need more softening and more easy to moderate workouts because they have the least endurance and the most delicate structure. They can get injured easily if they overdo it. Pittas: they are very driven and like hard workouts. They need more moderate to easy and more cardio and softening. They get too much inflammation when they only do hardening and hard workouts. Kapha: they need hard, hardening, and cardio workouts. They can handle it even though they don’t want to do it. They also need stretching and softening workouts everyday. Tips to architect your environment for maximum exercise: Some things you can do during the day while you’re working is carry small weights or use ankle weights while you’re walking. You can have a small indoor trampeline in your house to jump on while you’re watching TV. You can also wear a fitbit to monitor your steps. Pulsation or Spanda: the more that you push yourself and then relax, the healthier you’re going to be. Nature is all about pulsation: winter/summer, hot/cold, etc. Exercising should be easy, easy, hard. It’s a cycle. We want to see diversity with our workouts and with our food. Pulsating movements during the day is very important! Do not sit for more than 90 minutes at a time when you’re working. Take movement breaks. Move around for 5 minutes. If you don’t do this already, do it in a Kaizen way. Sit while working for 30 minutes, and then take a 1 minute break. You will feel more vibrant and get better ideas. How do you think you can vary your workouts so that you are getting a good balance of softening/hardening/cardio and easy/medium/hard? Design your own exercises. They shouldn’t be boring or stagnant. Do you need to be outside more or inside more, do you need more cardio, stretching, jumping, or do you need a workout buddy or accountability partner? Make a weekly plan: It should include hard, medium, and easy practices. Mix up your workouts with running/walking/hiking, different classes like cross-fit and yoga, weight training, etc. Add stretching/foam rolling at the beginning of hardening practices. The more you like your workouts, the more you will look forward to it and the more likely you will be to stick to it. Don’t add in workouts that you know you won’t do. Remember to move throughout the day as well. Focus on 20 minutes in the morning, but also move during the day. Step away from the computer, move, breathe, even for a few seconds, it’s enough to connect the pranic body. Accountability partners are very helpful with workouts.  Visualization before going to bed is another good trigger. Visualize going running when you get up in the morning. Some people know they should exercise, but they don’t like it. For podcast listeners, I have created some awesome downloads to help you keep track of your daily workouts and build your habit of moving your body and your breath every day.  Click here for your Exercise Tip Sheet and Workout Charts.   Namaste, Dr. Michele ****************************** If there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com or schedule a coaching call with me so we can dive deeper to find out what is going on and come up with a plan of action for you: drmichele.com/schedule Today’s show was brought to you by the Body Wisdom Membership Program. For more information, head on over to my website drmichele.com and click on the JOIN NOW or WORK WITH ME tab. All of the information is there about my group programs as well as 1:1 coaching. If you have questions about your health that you would like me to answer on air, you can email them to me or go to my website drmichele.com/get in touch to contact my team. If you have questions you’d like to discuss with me directly, sign up for a coaching call at drmichele.com/schedule.     Contact Information and Important Links for Dr. Michele: Dr. Michele can be found online or by email. Dr. Michele is currently accepting new 1:1 coaching clients as well as new members into her Body Wisdom Membership Program.  If you have questions about the Body Wisdom Membership Program or about how you can make lifestyles changes to improve your health, check out the Dr. Michele website or sign up for a coaching call with Dr. Michele here: drmichele.com/schedule Namaste, Dr. Michele Here's Where You Find Dr. Michele: website - drmichele.com email - dr.michele.colon@gmail.com twitter - @doctormichele facebook - @doctormichele instagram - @drmichele

#81 Movement, Breathing and Exercise

Welcome to Season 3 of the Body Wisdom Podcast with Dr. Michele. This season the podcast will be focusing on healthy habits. As your host, I’ll be recording solo episodes which will answer some of the most common questions I’m asked as a physician such as “how do I build a new habit?” "which habits are essential to get healthy again?" "what can I do to lose weight?" "how can I look and feel younger again?" "how can I start exercising again if I haven't done it in years?" and more. I will also be coaching patients and clients live on-air, and conducting interviews with other health & wellness experts. Of course, I am always open to new topic ideas, so if there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com. Today Dr. Michele discusses "How to Take the Chaos Out of Your Morning Routine." I hope you enjoy the show! About Dr. Michele: As a physician & surgeon, certified Ayurvedic and Autoimmune health coach, yoga/anatomy teacher, and overall health & wellness expert, Dr. Michele Summers Colon is an Advocate for Women's Health. Her passion is helping women help themselves to heal their body. She is the author of Body Wisdom: 10 Weeks to Transformation, the creator and host of the Body Wisdom with Dr. Michele Podcast, and the leader of the Body Wisdom Membership Program. She has been interviewed and quoted in many prominent publications including USA Today, US News & World Reports, Health Magazine, Yahoo! Makers, and Bloomberg BusinessWeek. One of Dr. Michele’s greatest strengths is her ability to help women create balanced, healthy lives by looking at the whole picture. She combines the best of Eastern and Western medicine to create individualized health & wellness plans for her patients and clients. For over 24 years, Dr. Michele has dedicated herself to maintaining a private medical practice and providing exceptional care to her patients while at the same time studying holisitic and integrative medicine. Dr. Michele believes that food is medicine and that yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation are the keys to perfect health. Dr. Michele has a Bachelor’s degree in Physiology from UCBerkeley, a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and a Doctorate degree in Podiatry from Barry University, and graduated from a Foot & Ankle Surgical Residency in Los Angeles. Dr. Michele is also certified in Ayurvedic as well as Autoimmune Health Coaching, Yoga, Reiki, Reflexology, and Laser Therapy. Dr. Michele specializes in Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Therapeutic Yoga to provide the most healing, relaxation, and rejuvenation to her patients and clients. Dr. Michele has studied Ayurvedic Medicine extensively and has worked with some of the best practitioners throughout the United States to bring Ayurveda to the forefront of medicine. Combining yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation is one of Dr. Michele’s passions so that she can spread the word to as many people as possible that this is the path to perfect health. Show Notes: This season we are going to be talking about Healthy Habits so that we can feel younger and healthier. This habit is about lining up with nature. Waking up at the right time of day to be aligned with the expansiveness of the universe’s energy is important to feeling great energy in the day. When you’re lined up, you are more at ease. When we aren’t in alignment, we experience stress, there’s a loss of energy, and we feel dull and out of tune. Habits that we have that don’t line up with nature don’t serve us. Look at the big picture: why are we doing all of these habit changes? They’re hard. Tap into your WHY. Why do you want to feel healthier and younger? Don’t try to be a perfectionist. Success isn’t doing any of this perfectly. Perfectionism will get in the way of you experiencing success along the way. Perfectionism leads to “the what the hell” principle: throwing in the towel if you can’t do it perfectly and don’t do it at all. Starting the day right is all about the energy in that part of the daily cycle, during vata time. Movement stimulates the peristalsis. We experience time opening up. The sacred time of day is the early morning. When we start our day right, we wake up with the sunrise, connect to the universe (in our own way), hydrate, and eliminate. That's it! What is one small change you can make with getting up early, connecting to the universe, hydrating, and eliminating?  You can do a very quick and simple one-minute meditation to get in alignment with the expansiveness of the universe. What also helps me on some days is to just take a minute to connect with my breathing or with a feeling of gratitude for the day ahead. I lay in bed for a minute, do a minute of deep breathing, and with my eyes closed, I get right into gratitude for my day, for my life, for my daughter (I think of 3 things to be grateful for today, each day), then I think about my day ahead in the most positive light way I can (like this: today is going to be so great, I’m going to make a nice breakfast for the two of us, I am going to jog around the block for 20 minutes, I am going to enjoy the sun and the fresh air while I’m outside, I am going to teach this class at 4:00, and I am going to go out to dinner at 6:00 with my boyfriend. Yes, it is going to be so amazing!) I say this to myself everyday, even if it’s a Saturday and I have no plans to leave the house. On a day like that I might say “today is going to be so relaxing and easy, I don’t have to be anywhere, I am just going to enjoy watching movies with my daughter, I will cook us some yummy food, and I will do a 20 minute yoga class video in my living room. Today is going to be so awesome!”). What this does is set up your day to be in ease instead of in stress. Then I sit up and drink my water. I usually drink about 4 glasses of water. Then I get up to go to the bathroom to eliminate. Sometimes it’s a full elimination and sometimes it’s not, but I don’t worry about it. If it’s not complete, I just know that I need to drink more water or eat more watery foods (like juices or soups) during the day so that tomorrow will be better. I also take some herbs to help me with elimination because I used to be one of those people that was constipated for a long time. I take Triphala or Triphala plus with each meal. You can take it at bedtime too. Check in: Are you eliminating first thing in the morning? Are you sleeping through the night? What are your morning habits? Are you waking up early, are you hydrating, and are you eliminating? Hydrate until you poop. It might seem weird for people to drink a quart of water to try to create peristaltic pressure, but it works. This is where Eastern and Western medicine differ. Ayurveda addresses things like constipation naturally with water. Western medicine gives people prescriptions for constipation (I know from personal experience). Add lemon or ginger to your water if it’s nauseating. Or take it slowly one cup at a time. If you are really that dehydrated, you need to take in more water throughout the day. You will probably lose your morning appetite if you drink that much water.   During the vata time of day: Wake up, hydrate, eliminate. Tap into the Vata energy which is full of expansion and super easeful in its essence. Take a walk or sit to meditate. Hydrate, eliminate, then get into an easeful relationship to life. Either you’re aligning with nature or you’re making life harder for yourself in the short term and the long term. Morning people exhibit traits like being agreeable and conscientious. Vata becomes prana, which becomes consciousness. Tap into consciousness which contains space and ease. It’s free and available every morning, and we can honor it every day. Figure out your own way to honor this time of day. Remember that Vata’s qualities are clear, expanding, mobile, subtle, the qualities of consciousness itself. Prana is exquisite in this time frame every day. How are you going to plug into this power source every day? These habits should be non-negotiable for us, or they should be becoming non-negotiable. We can try to get away with cheating, but we are cheating ourselves and we are going against ease and a stress-free life if we do that. Try to work in these habits so they become your standard. For more tips on How to Take the Chaos Out of Your Morning Routine and start your day right, click here for your free tip sheet and worksheet. Namaste, Dr. Michele ****************************** If there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com or schedule a coaching call with me so we can dive deeper to find out what is going on and come up with a plan of action for you: drmichele.com/schedule Today’s show was brought to you by the Body Wisdom Membership Program. For more information, head on over to my website drmichele.com and click on the JOIN NOW or WORK WITH ME tab. All of the information is there about my group programs as well as 1:1 coaching. If you have questions about your health that you would like me to answer on air, you can email them to me or go to my website drmichele.com/get in touch to contact my team. If you have questions you’d like to discuss with me directly, sign up for a coaching call at drmichele.com/schedule.     Contact Information and Important Links for Dr. Michele: Dr. Michele can be found online or by email. Dr. Michele is currently accepting new 1:1 coaching clients as well as new members into her Body Wisdom Membership Program.  If you have questions about the Body Wisdom Membership Program or about how you can make lifestyles changes to improve your health, check out the Dr. Michele website or sign up for a coaching call with Dr. Michele here: drmichele.com/schedule Namaste, Dr. Michele Here's Where You Find Dr. Michele: website - drmichele.com email - dr.michele.colon@gmail.com twitter - @doctormichele facebook - @doctormichele instagram - @drmichele

#80 Take the Chaos Out of Your Morning Routine

Welcome to Season 3 of the Body Wisdom Podcast with Dr. Michele. This season the podcast will be focusing on healthy habits. As your host, I’ll be recording solo episodes which will answer some of the most common questions I’m asked as a physician such as “how do I build a new habit?” "which habits are essential to get healthy again?" "what can I do to lose weight?" "how can I look and feel younger again?" "how can I start exercising again if I haven't done it in years?" and more. I will also be coaching patients and clients live on-air, and conducting interviews with other health & wellness experts. Of course, I am always open to new topic ideas, so if there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com. Today Dr. Michele answers the question "Why Should We Go To Bed Early?" I hope you enjoy the show! About Dr. Michele: As a physician & surgeon, certified Ayurvedic and Autoimmune health coach, yoga/anatomy teacher, and overall health & wellness expert, Dr. Michele Summers Colon is an Advocate for Women's Health. Her passion is helping women help themselves to heal their body. She is the author of Body Wisdom: 10 Weeks to Transformation, the creator and host of the Body Wisdom with Dr. Michele Podcast, and the leader of the Body Wisdom Membership Program. She has been interviewed and quoted in many prominent publications including USA Today, US News & World Reports, Health Magazine, Yahoo! Makers, and Bloomberg BusinessWeek. One of Dr. Michele’s greatest strengths is her ability to help women create balanced, healthy lives by looking at the whole picture. She combines the best of Eastern and Western medicine to create individualized health & wellness plans for her patients and clients. For over 24 years, Dr. Michele has dedicated herself to maintaining a private medical practice and providing exceptional care to her patients while at the same time studying holisitic and integrative medicine. Dr. Michele believes that food is medicine and that yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation are the keys to perfect health. Dr. Michele has a Bachelor’s degree in Physiology from UCBerkeley, a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and a Doctorate degree in Podiatry from Barry University, and graduated from a Foot & Ankle Surgical Residency in Los Angeles. Dr. Michele is also certified in Ayurvedic as well as Autoimmune Health Coaching, Yoga, Reiki, Reflexology, and Laser Therapy. Dr. Michele specializes in Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Therapeutic Yoga to provide the most healing, relaxation, and rejuvenation to her patients and clients. Dr. Michele has studied Ayurvedic Medicine extensively and has worked with some of the best practitioners throughout the United States to bring Ayurveda to the forefront of medicine. Combining yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation is one of Dr. Michele’s passions so that she can spread the word to as many people as possible that this is the path to perfect health. Show Notes: This season we are going to be talking about Healthy Habits so that we can feel younger and healthier. Why is it important for us to go to bed early? What is 'early'? And how much sleep do we really need? We're going to talk about that today. From an Ayurvedic perspective, there is a 'natural' time to have an evening meal, which is just before the sun goes down. If we eat early enough and it's not stressful, then there is a natural relaxation and feeling of ease in the early evening because dinner isn’t overwhelming. Dinner should be simple, from a physiological perspective and from a practical perspective. It is starting the cycle of winding down for the night. This is Kapha time. It is the heavier time of day. The early evening cycle has the heavier qualities of earth and water, like fluid, gooey, mud-like, and cloudy, but also stable. It is more stable than the energies that precede it. Kapha is so much about ease and taking it easy. If we are not revved up, we will start to wind down and take it easy after dinner. When you have a late dessert and have sugar to stay up later, this is what breaks down your immune system. Kapha is in charge of congealing the immune system and creating integrity through connectivity of the immune system when it is allowed to be refined through the application of consciousness. It builds ojas. It gives rise to immune integrity. There are so many immune issues out there like allergies. If we rev it up at night, we are blowing up our immune system. We either pay for it now, or we pay for it years later. We know that there are massive issues. It’s so crucial to wind down before bed. If you don’t, you are crashing your immune system, you are creating inflammation, you are not able to tap into the causal energy of deep sleep. When you go to bed too late, you reach that causal state of sleep in the morning so you wake up groggy. If people say they're night owls, that is just a diseased state, or a habitual state. Don’t confuse the habitual with the natural. We know that sleep deprivation destroys your health. 1/3 of adults in the USA get less than six hours of sleep, usually from 12-6am. This is associated with low grade chronic inflammation and worsening insulin resistance, increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. It impairs our ability to think, to handle stress, to have a healthy immune system, and to moderate our emotions. It is associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure, weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric disorders. Ayurveda says the same thing. You are just destroying yourself. Our culture has this pattern. Chances are you have this pattern. People are watching TV, on their computers or kindles or smart phones at night. The blue light emitted by our electronics disrupts sleep. It disrupts the natural cycle of Kapha accumulating, which should be building our ojas. If we can go from seven nights a week to four nights of staying up late, that’s great. Or from four nights down to two, that’s great. It probably won’t destroy your adrenals. Kapha time from 6-10pm. It's the sensual time of day. The way we get ready for bed should be sensual and delicious. Kapha is all about physical sensuality and body sensuality. Like taking a bath and using essential oils or doing a meditation practice that lets you let go into universal support that is always there to catch you and hold you. That is the power source. It’s the power source for your life, and most people are not tapped into it. How many people do you know that are suffering from weight gain, immune issues, allergies, or diabetes? Some of us are suffering from these right now. When we really start to recover the yumminess and sensuality of this time, it becomes so easy. Life is so much more full and complete. Sleep that you get before midnight is worth double, double for your immune system, double for your power center. What is it costing me to not be well rested? Start to get real with it. This is where the identity shift starts to happen. The Kapha time of day is not going to go away. Get real with what it’s costing you. Sync into that. This will give you the push to change. It’s ok if this is where you are. We have all been there. If we use sleep to process the mind, it’s inefficient. Meditation is meant to process the mind. Sleep is meant to rejuvenate, to repair, to go into the causal or dream realm. Using our sleep to process the mind is taking another hit to our immune system. Pay attention to what your soul wants to do in your evening routine. Make it the most important thing in your life this week. The reason these first two habits are together is because if you eat late, you are starting your next day from a place of being behind. We are resetting our body pattern and resetting our habit pattern. Eating an earlier lighter dinner gives us a shot for more space in our evening, sleeping better, waking up more rested, more consciousness in our day, and everything else will be easier. It is not random at all. We need this in place so we can build on the path of least resistance. You’ll have a more conscious evening practice before bed. There’s a lot of room for improvement here. Suggestion for those of you who are not going to bed early now: go to bed 15 minutes earlier each week. In one month, you’ll be going to bed an hour earlier. In two months, you’ll be going to bed 2 hours earlier. Let’s start tuning in to our body’s signs of fatigue. For me, I feel it in my legs, they start cramping up when I’m exhausted. Some people get a headache. Some people get cranky. What is it for you? Start noticing and really paying attention to your body’s cues and signals. If I’m not noticing my own signs of fatigue, there are consequences. Say to yourself, “I’m going to start to listen.” I’m going to stop borrowing tomorrow’s energy for my needs today. The first things I need to learn are: what and how does my body communicate signs of fatigue at the end of the day? Instead of watching TV before bed, read before bed. In summary, start your evening routine with a early light dinner. Then start winding down for the night by doing relaxing things like family conversations and short walks. Turn off electronics an hour before bed. For podcast listeners, I have an awesome Early To Bed Tip Sheet to help you create and maintain your new bedtime rituals. Namaste, Dr. Michele ****************************** If there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com or schedule a coaching call with me so we can dive deeper to find out what is going on and come up with a plan of action for you: drmichele.com/schedule Today’s show was brought to you by the Body Wisdom Membership Program. For more information, head on over to my website drmichele.com and click on the JOIN NOW or WORK WITH ME tab. All of the information is there about my group programs as well as 1:1 coaching. If you have questions about your health that you would like me to answer on air, you can email them to me or go to my website drmichele.com/get in touch to contact my team. If you have questions you’d like to discuss with me directly, sign up for a coaching call at drmichele.com/schedule.     Contact Information and Important Links for Dr. Michele: Dr. Michele can be found online or by email. Dr. Michele is currently accepting new 1:1 coaching clients as well as new members into her Body Wisdom Membership Program.  If you have questions about the Body Wisdom Membership Program or about how you can make lifestyles changes to improve your health, check out the Dr. Michele website or sign up for a coaching call with Dr. Michele here: drmichele.com/schedule Namaste, Dr. Michele Here's Where You Find Dr. Michele: website - drmichele.com email - dr.michele.colon@gmail.com twitter - @doctormichele facebook - @doctormichele instagram - @drmichele

#79 Why Should We Go To Bed Early?

Welcome to Season 3 of the Body Wisdom Podcast with Dr. Michele. This season the podcast will be focusing on healthy habits. As your host, I’ll be recording solo episodes which will answer some of the most common questions I’m asked as a physician such as “how do I build a new habit?” "which habits are essential to get healthy again?" "what can I do to lose weight?" "how can I look and feel younger again?" "how can I start exercising again if I haven't done it in years?" and more. I will also be coaching patients and clients live on-air, and conducting interviews with other health & wellness experts. Of course, I am always open to new topic ideas, so if there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com. Today Dr. Michele discusses "Why Earlier Lighter Dinners Work." I hope you enjoy the show! About Dr. Michele: As a physician & surgeon, certified Ayurvedic and Autoimmune health coach, yoga/anatomy teacher, and overall health & wellness expert, Dr. Michele Summers Colon is an Advocate for Women's Health. Her passion is helping women help themselves to heal their body. She is the author of Body Wisdom: 10 Weeks to Transformation, the creator and host of the Body Wisdom with Dr. Michele Podcast, and the leader of the Body Wisdom Membership Program. She has been interviewed and quoted in many prominent publications including USA Today, US News & World Reports, Health Magazine, Yahoo! Makers, and Bloomberg BusinessWeek. One of Dr. Michele’s greatest strengths is her ability to help women create balanced, healthy lives by looking at the whole picture. She combines the best of Eastern and Western medicine to create individualized health & wellness plans for her patients and clients. For over 24 years, Dr. Michele has dedicated herself to maintaining a private medical practice and providing exceptional care to her patients while at the same time studying holisitic and integrative medicine. Dr. Michele believes that food is medicine and that yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation are the keys to perfect health. Dr. Michele has a Bachelor’s degree in Physiology from UCBerkeley, a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and a Doctorate degree in Podiatry from Barry University, and graduated from a Foot & Ankle Surgical Residency in Los Angeles. Dr. Michele is also certified in Ayurvedic as well as Autoimmune Health Coaching, Yoga, Reiki, Reflexology, and Laser Therapy. Dr. Michele specializes in Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Therapeutic Yoga to provide the most healing, relaxation, and rejuvenation to her patients and clients. Dr. Michele has studied Ayurvedic Medicine extensively and has worked with some of the best practitioners throughout the United States to bring Ayurveda to the forefront of medicine. Combining yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation is one of Dr. Michele’s passions so that she can spread the word to as many people as possible that this is the path to perfect health. Show Notes: This season we are going to be talking about Healthy Habits so that we can feel younger and healthier. Habit change = habit evolution. Why is it important for us to eat an earlier lighter dinner? Because eating and sleeping goes hand in hand. It sets you up for having a good energetic day the following day. Eating late at night is a bad idea because it makes you feel heavy and sluggish the following day. Also, the energy that was supposed to be used for rejuvenation and replenishing your energy stores is now going to digesting your food while you sleep. The key is to eat four hours before you go to sleep. If you aim for eating dinner around 6pm and going to bed around 10pm, you will start to feel better in the morning which leads to having more energy the next day and so on.  Also, make sure the foods you eat are light, like salads and soups, so that you can digest everything before you go to sleep. Just having the recipes doesn’t help to have an earlier lighter dinner. Aim to be in the kitchen at 5pm. Focus on soups, salads, and roasted vegetables. Prepping in the morning for more complex meals saves a lot of time at dinner time. Batch task when you’re in the kitchen. You can also do kitchen sadhana, where you spend a lot of time in the kitchen but you do it every week or two. Sodhana is like the essential, the fundamental things that need to get done, and that becomes your spiritual practice. Body, mind, and spirit are all dependent on how we nourish ourselves, so we need to take these spiritual practices to the kitchen. This is also a good time to do menu planning for the week. Make your salad dressings and sauces, and prep your veggies. Start with what you want to eat when meal planning and prepping. Foods lose their prana, or life force energy, as time goes by. Don’t eat left overs after one day. The exception to this in Ayurveda is fermented foods. Eat in cycles. Do not spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Eat what you made for a day or a day and a half, then move on to the next thing. Most of us are fine with it, but a lot of our spouses are not OK with it. This is when we begin to stir the pot in our relationships as our habits change. We navigate it with conscious conversations. As I add new habits, they all build on each other. They all reflect on each other, but I always go back to earlier lighter dinners.   Another key point here is to eat your biggest meal at lunch time, around noon. This disspells the myth that breakfast is your most important meal. Nope! Lunch is your most important meal of the day! So plan on eating your heaviest, most carb filled meal at lunch time, not dinner time. Some other good tips are not to eat any snacks or desserts after dinner. Avoid wine and chocolate with dinner or after dinner because they have a lot of sugar, and chocolate has a stimulant that revs us back up. Having a "kitchen is closed" policy in your home after dinner time will serve you and your family in the long run tremendously. In summary, eat four hours before bedtime, eat lighter foods for dinner, and make lunch your biggest meal of the day. For more tips on Earlier Lighter Dinners AND recipes, click here for some free downloads. Namaste, Dr. Michele ****************************** If there is a topic you would like me to address or if there is a question you would like answered, please reach out. Email me directly at dr.michele.colon@gmail.com or schedule a coaching call with me so we can dive deeper to find out what is going on and come up with a plan of action for you: drmichele.com/schedule Today’s show was brought to you by the Body Wisdom Membership Program. For more information, head on over to my website drmichele.com and click on the JOIN NOW or WORK WITH ME tab. All of the information is there about my group programs as well as 1:1 coaching. If you have questions about your health that you would like me to answer on air, you can email them to me or go to my website drmichele.com/get in touch to contact my team. If you have questions you’d like to discuss with me directly, sign up for a coaching call at drmichele.com/schedule.     Contact Information and Important Links for Dr. Michele: Dr. Michele can be found online or by email. Dr. Michele is currently accepting new 1:1 coaching clients as well as new members into her Body Wisdom Membership Program.  If you have questions about the Body Wisdom Membership Program or about how you can make lifestyles changes to improve your health, check out the Dr. Michele website or sign up for a coaching call with Dr. Michele here: drmichele.com/schedule Namaste, Dr. Michele Here's Where You Find Dr. Michele: website - drmichele.com email - dr.michele.colon@gmail.com twitter - @doctormichele facebook - @doctormichele instagram - @drmichele

#78 Why Earlier Lighter Dinners Work

Welcome to the newly released Beating Diabetes Podcast with Dr. Michele. This year the podcast will be focusing on all things diabetes. As your host, I’ll be recording solo episodes which will answer some of the most common questions I’m asked as a physician such as “what CAN I eat as a diabetic?”, “how can I lose the extra weight that I’ve put on recently?”, “is it really possible to reverse type 2 diabetes?”, “What can I do to prevent my children from getting diabetes since it runs in the family?” and more. I will also be coaching patients and clients live on-air, and conducting interviews with other diabetic experts. Today Dr. Michele discusses "The Best Food Choices For Diabetics, According to Ayurveda." I hope you enjoy the show! About Dr. Michele: As a physician, surgeon, health coach, yoga teacher, anatomy instructor, author, podcaster and overall health & wellness expert, Dr. Michele Summers Colon’s passion is helping women and men with diabetes and autoimmune disease heal their body. She has been interviewed and quoted in many prominent publications including USA Today, US News & World Reports, Health Magazine, Yahoo! Makers, and Bloomberg BusinessWeek. One of Dr. Michele’s greatest strengths is her ability to help women create balanced, healthy lives by looking at the whole picture. Shee combines the best of Eastern and Western medicine to create individualized health & wellness plans for her patients and clients. For over 22 years, Dr. Michele has dedicated herself to maintaining a private medical practice and providing exceptional care to her patients while at the same time studying holisitic and integrative medicine. Dr. Michele believes that food is medicine and that yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation are the keys to perfect health. Dr. Michele has a Bachelor’s degree in Physiology from UCBerkeley, a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and a Doctorate degree in Podiatry from Barry University, and graduated from a Foot & Ankle Surgical Residency in Los Angeles. Dr. Michele is also certified in Health Coaching, Yoga, Reiki, Reflexology, and Laser Therapy. Dr. Michele specializes in Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Therapeutic Yoga to provide the most healing, relaxation, and rejuvenation to her patients and clients. Dr. Michele has studied Ayurvedic Medicine extensively and has worked with some of the best practitioners throughout California to bring Ayurveda to the forefront of medicine. Combining yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation is one of Dr. Michele’s passions so that she can spread the word to as many clients and patients as possible that this is the path to perfect health. Show Notes: Favor foods with a low glycemic index. Diet planning is an effective strategy for management of various aspects of diabetes. If you or someone you love has diabetes, knowing the best food for diabetics can help promote health and prevent further decline. Consider these recommendations from the traditional ancient medical science of Ayurveda. According to Ayurveda, diabetes mellitus is known as Madhumeha and it arises in two ways. Aggravation of Vata dosha due to tissue depletion (dhatukshya), is one way diabetes develops. Obstruction of the channels (srotas) through blockage by Kapha dosha and fatty tissue (Kapha Meda Avarana), is another cause of diabetes. Both of these causes increase Vata dosha which may manifest over time as diabetes mellitus. What can you do? Diabetic Meal Plan: A diabetic meal plan should contain 50 to 60 percent of daily calories from carbohydrates, 15 percent from proteins, and the remainder from fats or oils. The World Health Organization recommends a minimum consumption of 5 – 10 portions of fruits and vegetables per day. Lessen fat, salt, alcohol, and caffeine in your diet. 1. High Fiber Aim for 40 grams of fiber a day, but start slowly. Load up on beans, vegetables and fruits. For whole grains, aim for at least 3 grams per serving on food labels and at least 10 grams per meal. A variety of foods which should always be included in the diet is as follows. 2. Whole Grains Whole grains could effectively regulate the glycemic response, increase insulin sensitivity, improve pancreatic β-cell functions and increase insulin secretion. Whole and multi grain breads, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, low-fat and multigrain crackers, low sugar, whole grain cereals, oatmeal, bran, bulgur, buckwheat, low-fat, whole grain baked goods with added bran or oat bran, pasta, high fiber cereal, corn, oatmeal, millet, barley and rye. According to Ayurveda…. barley (yava) is the best grain for managing diabetes. Different preparations of barley can be taken such as barley cooked with water (mantha), barley cooked without adding any unctuous substance or fat (odana), barley porridge (vatya), barley with roasted corn flour (saktu), barley pancakes (apupa), barley bread and barley-based chapattis or tortillas. Wheat can also be taken. Ayurveda prescribes old rice (purana shali), as one of the cereals beneficial to diabetic patients.  3. Fruits And Vegetables Several studies indicate that regular consumption of various fruits and vegetables in diabetic patients can lead to an improved glycemic control, reduced HbA1c and triglyceride levels, enhance antioxidant defense system, attenuated oxidative stress and inflammatory markers, decreased risk of diabetic retinopathy and lower the burden of carotid atherosclerosis. Fruits The fruits with a low glycemic index include apples, peaches, pears, grapefruit, grapes, oranges, melon, dried apricots, raisins, kiwi, berries, cranberry, blackberries, black raspberries, blueberries, red raspberries, strawberries, cherries, barberries, plums, litchi fruit, durian, pomegranates, bananas, avocadoes, persimmon, guava, papaya, kokum fruit, jackfruit, acai, goji, watermelon, dates, figs, syzygium cumini or jamun, Indian gooseberry or amla, wood apple, sugar palm and lotus. Avoid olives and pineapples. Avoid fruit juices. Instead opt for whole fruits, as they contain more fiber and are more filling. If juice is a must, when buying canned fruit juices, one should check the label for the following: unsweetened or extra-light, no sugar added. Stay away from fruits that are frozen or canned in heavy syrup. Vegetables Eat green leafy vegetables; eat an abundance fresh vegetables like tomato, cucumber, carrot, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, kale, collard, squash, green beans, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, artichokes. Avoid white potatoes. Ayurveda recommends all types of bitter vegetables as some of the best vegetables for diabetics. Bitter vegetables include bitter gourd, fenugreek, pointed gourd, garlic, cluster fig tree or Indian fig. You can also have bitter greens like arugula, kale, dandelions and beet greens. Other bitter vegetables you might like are bitter melon which is excellent fried, rapini, radicchio and endive. 4. Spices Spices exert several beneficial physiological effects. The anti-diabetic effects of spices include short-term hypoglycemia and long-term improved glucose tolerance activities. A number of condiments and spices including pepper, asafoetida, aloe, ocimum, and eugenol have been ascribed as hypoglycemic action in normal as well as experimentally induced diabetic animal models, as well as humans. Fenugreek seeds, garlic, onion, turmeric, cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, onions, mustard, curry leaves, cinnamon, mustard and coriander have all been reported to possess potential anti-diabetic agents. You can add these spices to your meals by sauteing them in oil quickly before adding your beans, vegetables or grains. 5. Milk + Dairy Milk and yogurt with less than 1% fat and cheese should be 10-20% milk fat. They are rich in protein and calcium, and studies shows they help people to lose weight. Diets that include plenty of dairy may fight insulin resistance, a core problem behind diabetes. In addition to calcium, many fortified dairy products are a good source of vitamin D. 6. Lean Protein Fish is rich in omega-3’s (polyunsaturated fat) which helps to protect against heart disease in people with diabetes. Opt for fish canned in water, fresh or frozen, seafood, skinless chicken and turkey, lean meats with the fat trimmed, wild game, lean cold cuts (but watch the salt content), tofu and eggs (up to 8 per week). According to Ayurveda, deer flesh, rabbit and birds like grey partridge are beneficial for diabetes. Though these may be unusual choices for protein, a little sleuthing can help you source local ingredients. You may also check with your local farm to table restaurants for vendors carrying these items. 7. Choose Pulses + Legumes Legumes have a low glycemic index, are high in fiber and phytochemicals. This makes them a functional food for diabetic patients. The hypoglycemic effect of beans (via inhibition of α-amylase and β-glucosidase activity) has been reported as being similar to those of anti-diabetic drugs. Including beans like pinto, dark red kidney and black beans in the diet effectively helps weight management, attenuates postprandial glycemic response and improves dyslipidemia. Have beans (black, pinto, kidney, garbanzo, white beans andsoybeans), peas, split peas, lentils and non-fat soy products for diabetic management. According to Ayurveda, split green gram beans, Bengal gram, horse gram and pigeon peas can also be taken for diabetes management. You can find these items at your local Indian market or search online for a quality source. Horse gram is hearty, filling and delicious. Split green gram you can enjoy in Indian kitchari recipes or in quick, no-ferment dosas (Indian pancakes). 8. Nuts Almonds, pistachios, walnuts and hazelnuts are commonly used nuts. Most current evidence reveals that consumption of nuts in type 2 diabetic patients other than improving the overall diet quality also has beneficial effects on postprandial glycemic response following high-carbohydrate meals. They also improve insulin resistance. Habitual intake of nuts could help to effectively manage weight especially in diabetic patients. 9. Unsalted Seeds Flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are filled with good fats like omega 3 fatty acids, protein, and fiber that work together to keep blood sugar low and stave off heart disease. According to Ayurveda, lotus or water lily seeds can also be taken. Lotus seeds may be eaten cooked or raw. They are used extensively in Chinese medicine as well as Ayurvedic medicine. If you are traveling in Asia you may find them sold as a raw snack. You may also find a source in larger metropolitan areas. 10. Oils + Fats According to Ayurveda, mustard oil is the best. Olive, canola, soybean, sesame and sunflower oils (3 tsp or less per day), non-hydrogenated soft margarines, low calorie dressings and mayonnaise, light peanut butter, nuts (watch salt and calories), defatted gravy and low-sugar condiments, cocoa powder or a small piece of dark chocolate can be taken. 11. Liquor (Limited Amounts) Limit alcohol to less than 2 drinks per day. One drink is equal to 12 oz. beer, 1.5 oz. liquor or 4 oz. wine. It is not a good idea to drink on an empty stomach, especially if you take insulin or medications that put you at risk of hypos, as alcohol can make hypos more likely to happen. According to Ayurveda, old wine is beneficial. Please note that drinking alcohol is not recommended if you have high triglycerides (blood fats), high blood pressure, liver problems, are pregnant or breastfeeding.  12. Sweets (In Very Small Amounts) Sugar substitutes and artificial sweeteners, low sugar jams, jellies and syrups, sugar-free candies, gelatins, gum, low-sugar and high fiber baked goods, and low-fat and low-sugar frozen dessert. 13. Snack Foods Popcorn without salt, butter, or hydrogenated oils is a good choice. Choose low fat, low sugar snack foods.  ****************************** If you have borderline diabetes or type II diabetes and would like to discuss how we can work together to prevent or reverse diabetes, schedule a free consultation with me so we can dive deeper to find out what is going on and come up with a plan of action for you: drmichele.com/schedule Today’s show was brought to you by coaching program “Beating Diabetes: the 10 week roadmap”. For more information, head on over to my website drmichele.com and click on the work with me tab. All of the information is there about my group programs as well as 1:1 coaching. If you have questions about diabetes that you would like me to answer on air, you can email them to me. Just go to my website drmichele.com/contact to email your questions. Ilf you have questions you’d like to discuss with me, sign up for a free 20 minute coaching call at drmichele.com/schedule.     Contact Information and Important Links for Dr. Michele: Dr. Michele can be found online or by email. Dr. Michele is currently accepting new 1:1 coaching clients as well as group coaching clients. Sign up here for your free health assessment. If you have questions about the Beating Diabetes Coaching Program or about how you can make lifestyles changes to improve your health, sign up for a free call with Dr. Michele here: drmichele.com/schedule Namaste, Dr. Michele Here's Where You Find Dr. Michele: website - drmichele.com email - dr@drmichele.com twitter - @doctormichele facebook - @doctormichele instagram - @drmichele

#77 The Best Food Choices for Diabetics, According to Ayurveda

Welcome to the newly released Beating Diabetes Podcast with Dr. Michele. This year the podcast will be focusing on all things diabetes. As your host, I’ll be recording solo episodes which will answer some of the most common questions I’m asked as a physician such as “what CAN I eat as a diabetic?”, “how can I lose the extra weight that I’ve put on recently?”, “is it really possible to reverse type 2 diabetes?”, “What can I do to prevent my children from getting diabetes since it runs in the family?” and more. I will also be coaching patients and clients live on-air, and conducting interviews with other diabetic experts. Today Dr. Michele interviews stress reduction expert Peggy Sealfon on episode #76 of the Beating Diabetes Podcast entitled "Stress Reduction Is Key For Diabetics." I hope you enjoy the show! About Peggy Sealfon: Peggy Sealfon is a Personal Development Coach, Motivational Speaker and is an internationally-known expert on helping clients overcome chronic stress, fear and anxiety. She guides business groups and individuals in cutting-edge methods to improve productivity, performance and address issues of health, relationships, work, or life purpose. Using her keen intuitive abilities, she blends eastern and western traditions from ancient yogic techniques, mindfulness and spirituality to functional medicine, modern psychology, energy medicine, nutrition and the neurosciences. She is co-author of The Change-Insights Into Self Empowerment, one of the fastest-growing personal development book series in the world with Tony Robbins’ former mentor Jim Britt and others. Her best-selling book is Escape >From Anxiety—Supercharge Your Life With Powerful Strategies From A to Z.  She’s just published Embodying the Power of the Zero Stress Zone, a compilation of the teachings of world-renowned spiritual master Yogi Amrit Desai.   About Dr. Michele: As a physician, surgeon, health coach, yoga teacher, anatomy instructor, author, podcaster and overall health & wellness expert, Dr. Michele Summers Colon’s passion is helping women and men with diabetes and autoimmune disease heal their body. She has been interviewed and quoted in many prominent publications including USA Today, US News & World Reports, Health Magazine, Yahoo! Makers, and Bloomberg BusinessWeek. One of Dr. Michele’s greatest strengths is her ability to help women create balanced, healthy lives by looking at the whole picture. Shee combines the best of Eastern and Western medicine to create individualized health & wellness plans for her patients and clients. For over 22 years, Dr. Michele has dedicated herself to maintaining a private medical practice and providing exceptional care to her patients while at the same time studying holisitic and integrative medicine. Dr. Michele believes that food is medicine and that yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation are the keys to perfect health. Dr. Michele has a Bachelor’s degree in Physiology from UCBerkeley, a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and a Doctorate degree in Podiatry from Barry University, and graduated from a Foot & Ankle Surgical Residency in Los Angeles. Dr. Michele is also certified in Health Coaching, Yoga, Reiki, Reflexology, and Laser Therapy. Dr. Michele specializes in Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Therapeutic Yoga to provide the most healing, relaxation, and rejuvenation to her patients and clients. Dr. Michele has studied Ayurvedic Medicine extensively and has worked with some of the best practitioners throughout California to bring Ayurveda to the forefront of medicine. Combining yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation is one of Dr. Michele’s passions so that she can spread the word to as many clients and patients as possible that this is the path to perfect health. Show Notes: Questions covered by Peggy: We all face challenges in life but what are some obvious signs that someone may be suffering serious anxiety? Why do you feel anxiety is becoming an epidemic? What can someone do today—as you say—to supercharge their lives? What is the Zero Stress Zone and how can someone cultivate a practice that makes a difference in everyday life? What is the most important advice you can share with women who are overwhelmed and just plain tired? "Stress can really raise your blood sugar!" If you have type II diabetes and would like to discuss how we can work together to reverse it, schedule a free consultation with me so we can dive deeper to find out what is going on and come up with a plan of action for you: drmichele.com/schedule Today’s show was brought to you by coaching program “Beating Diabetes: the 10 week roadmap”. For more information, head on over to my website drmichele.com and click on the work with me tab. All of the information is there about my group programs as well as 1:1 coaching. If you have questions about diabetes that you would like me to answer on air, you can email them to me. Just go to my website drmichele.com/contact to email your questions. Ilf you have questions you’d like to discuss with me, sign up for a free 20 minute coaching call at drmichele.com/schedule.   Contact Information and Important Links for Peggy: Peggy Sealfon Personal Development Coach, Productivity Strategist, Motivational Speaker & Author PeggySealfon.com 239.821.2266 Escape from Anxiety: Supercharge Your Life With Powerful Strategies from A to Z is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble or EscapeFromAnxiety.com Co-Author The Change--Insights Into Self Empowerment Publisher, Embodying the Power of the Zero Stress Zone On Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/peggysealfon.personaldevelopmentcoach https://twitter.com/StonewaterSt https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggysealfon/ https://www.instagram.com/peggysealfon/?inf_contact_key=166e3e6e2bcbb3af86f23943cef5a9c23e086ad8a162d5e014817106e0af5339 Contact Information and Important Links for Dr. Michele: Dr. Michele can be found online or by email. Dr. Michele is currently accepting new 1:1 coaching clients as well as group coaching clients. Sign up here for your free health assessment. If you have questions about the Beating Diabetes Coaching Program or about how you can make lifestyles changes to improve your health, sign up for a free call with Dr. Michele here: drmichele.com/schedule Namaste, Dr. Michele Here's Where You Find Dr. Michele: website - drmichele.com email - dr@drmichele.com twitter - @doctormichele facebook - @doctormichele instagram - @drmichele  

#76 Reducing Stress Is Key For Diabetics with Expert Peggy Sealfon

Welcome to the newly released Beating Diabetes Podcast with Dr. Michele. This year the podcast will be focusing on all things diabetes. As your host, I’ll be recording solo episodes which will answer some of the most common questions I’m asked as a physician such as “what CAN I eat as a diabetic?”, “how can I lose the extra weight that I’ve put on recently?”, “is it really possible to reverse type 2 diabetes?”, “What can I do to prevent my children from getting diabetes since it runs in the family?” and more. I will also be coaching patients and clients live on-air, and conducting interviews with other diabetic experts. Today Dr. Michele is discussing diabetic neuropathy and how it leads to infections and amputations of your feet.  With the increase in diabetes in recent years, we have seen an increase in many of the complications of diabetes. One of those complications is diabetic neuropathy, which is the numbness of the feet (and sometimes hands) of diabetic patients. And as with everything else in life, there is a trickle down affect when we look at diabetes, and this is why diabetes is such a big deal! Please read the example below: A simple example would go like this: A patient has diabetes for 10 years, develops numbness (diabetic neuropathy) in his feet, develops a blister on his right big toe while wearing new shoes, but because of the numbness, he does not feel the blister and continues to wear the new shoes for over 8 hours in one day. The blister pops on its own and develops into a wound (diabetic foot ulcer) which becomes infected, and after noticing pus and a bad smell coming from his foot, the patient tries to treat it on his own by soaking his foot and applying Neosporin and band-aids at home. He finally comes to see me in the office for a consultation about 3 weeks later when he realizes that it is not improving. When I see the patient, the foot is reddish pink, swollen, warm to the touch, and pus is coming out of the ulcer. I take x-rays of the foot and see that the bone is also infected. Gangrene has not set in yet, but it could happen. This patient is at risk for amputation and further complications down the road. This is a serious complication of diabetes, and unfortunately it is also very common. If you or a family member has diabetes, please schedule an appointment with your podiatrist today to evaluate your foot health and to begin a diabetic foot care program (which will prevent tragedies such as this example). Every 30 seconds, a lower limb is amputated due to a diabetic foot infection.   If you or a family member has diabetes, do NOT hesitate in scheduling an appointment with your podiatrist today to avoid a diabetic foot infection which can lead to amputation. You do not need to be a statistic if you have diabetes. There are many preventative measures that can be administered by your podiatrist such as Diabetic Shoes and a Diabetic Foot Care Program. "My #1 goal as a podiatrist is to save feet!"  If you have any of these conditions or type II diabetes and would like to discuss how we can work together to prevent or reverse diabetes, schedule a free consultation with me so we can dive deeper to find out what is going on and come up with a plan of action for you: drmichele.com/schedule Dr. Michele S. Colon, DPM, MS 3503 Lexington Ave. El Monte, CA 91731 

#75 What I See Everyday As A Diabetic Expert, From Neuropathy to Infections and Amputations

Inspirational stories to help women live healthier, happier lives that honor their own bodies, wants, and desires. It'll cover everything from yoga, meditation, nutrition, fitness, sleep, Ayurveda, plant-based diets and more.

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Body Wisdom With Dr. Michele

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