Pursue Your Spark - Midlife, Fitness, Nutrition, Mindset, Health, women over 50

Can you believe summer is over already? If you’re struggling to shift gears, I've got the perfect tip to help you find your footing this fall. From flip-flops to focus, it’s time to reclaim your fall routine! Trust me, you won’t want to miss this!

After a busy summer, taking a moment to reclaim our personal space and time is essential. It helps us prioritize our mental well-being and boost productivity. Today, I’m sharing how to find clarity after summer with a powerful yet simple practice that can make all the difference in your routine.

What’s this game-changing tip? It involves dedicating time just for you—no kids, work, or distractions. It’s like hitting the reset button for your mind, body, and soul. Unlike vacations that often come with their own set of responsibilities, this practice is all about focusing on yourself and what you need.

Planning this special time is easy. Find a quiet space at home or a peaceful spot nearby. Set a schedule with activities that help you relax and recharge, like meditation, journaling, reading, or taking a nature walk. The goal is to do things that bring you peace and clarity, helping you get back into your fall routine.

Incorporating this practice can bring many benefits. It clears mental clutter, improves self-awareness, and boosts productivity and creativity. It’s a way to disconnect from daily life and reconnect with yourself, making your routine smoother and more enjoyable.

Start gradually, re-establish your workout schedule, and focus on balanced meals to ease back into your wellness routine. Remember, it’s okay to take it step by step as you reclaim your fall routine.

So, what’s the #1 thing you must do after summer? Listen to the full episode to discover how this simple practice can help you reset and prepare for the rest of the year. You deserve this time for yourself; it can make a big difference in how you feel and manage your fall routine.

Comment the word "flip-flops," and let me know how the episode resonated with you and what steps you took. You can also reach out to me directly at [email protected].

Links mentioned in the show:

• #207 – 6 Ways To Redefine Courage In Midlife
• #211 Midlife Mindset Shifts To Strength and Flexibility
• Fasted + Fit Over 50 Jumpstart

In this episode, we tackle a common seasonal challenge: sticking to intermittent fasting goals during the holidays. We explore the balance between festive joy and health commitments, ensuring holiday enjoyment without derailing fasting routines.

First, we address the holiday season's unique pressures. Breaking fasting schedules can spark guilt, and balancing health choices with family expectations adds stress. We emphasize understanding these emotions as key to managing fasting during these times.

Next, we offer practical tips for handling intermittent fasting's social aspects during the holidays. We emphasize staying true to our fasting decisions and recalling our personal motivations. By simply and friendly explaining our choices to friends and family, we demystify our approach and foster understanding. We also suggest non-food-centric activities at gatherings, allowing enjoyment of loved ones' company without eating pressure.

We then strategize for gracefully handling social situations. This includes preparing responses to common questions, setting personal boundaries, finding support from friends or online communities, and skillfully redirecting conversations away from dietary habits.

To conclude, I stress the importance of self-confidence and embracing our lifestyle choices. Celebrating small victories and leaning on community support is key, empowering us to confidently navigate the holiday season while staying true to our intermittent fasting goals.

Tune in for an empowering mix of encouragement, practical advice, and community support designed to help you enjoy the festive season while honoring your health and wellness journey.

Links mentioned:

• #179 - 7 Ways To Sneak in Exercise During the Holidays
• #66 How To Boost Confidence
• Pursue Your Spark Blueprint Course

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Has life ever made you feel like you are stuck in the muck? We have all felt this way, and our guest on this podcast episode shares about turning your muck into magic.

When life knocked Wendi Knox down, hundreds of red dragonflies lifted her up. What she learned from them was so life-changing; she just couldn't keep it to herself.

Wendi Knox is an author, artist, and uplifter. She used to be an award-winning Creative Director at one of the largest advertising agencies in Los Angeles. At 50, Wendi lost her job and found herself stuck in the muck of "Now What?" Then, a life-changing experience with hundreds of red dragonflies gave flight to a new mission: to inspire others that "it's never too late to soar."

We learn about the beautiful parts of learning to fly after spending time in the muck and getting to know yourself more and what brings you joy. Wendi has always had a passion for creativity and art, and although her career was creative, it took a heavy toll being in the advertising business. However, now that she is creating art on her terms, she feels like she is getting younger every day.

Following her passion and joy has been a way of turning the mucky situation into magic. For many of us, our career can feel like a massive part of our identity, and to lose that at 50, especially unexpectedly, can feel like an earth-shattering experience. Still, it can be a way to reignite your spark and passion! Your help and support may come from the most unexpected places, just like Wendi!

Click here to listen!

Heike's insights are so helpful in creating a well-rounded, healthy lifestyle! Loving every episode of the Pursue Your Spark podcast!" ← if that sounds like you, consider rating and reviewing my show here! Your action helps me support more empty-nester moms 50+ - just like you - thriving in their second half of life. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with 5 stars, and select "Write a Review." Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Plus, if you haven't already, subscribe to the podcast. There is always something new on the feed, and if you're not subscribed, there's a chance you'll miss out. Subscribe NOW!

Links mentioned in the show:

• The Empty Nest Reboot
• Maria Shriver's Blog Architects Of Change

How you can reach Wendi Knox

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

Intuition. That feeling where you “just know,” but how? What is the nature of this sixth sense, and how do we foster it? I was happy to invite Dr. Melissa Bird to this week’s podcast to answer our questions about intuition and how we can tap into this powerful force within us.

Dr. Melissa Bird, Ph.D., MSW, is a passionate feminist whose education in social work has led to a career advocating for children, women, and their families.

One of Melissa's key focus areas is helping women overcome their fears around speaking their minds and pursuing their dreams. She encourages women to listen to their intuition and tap into their inner wisdom to find their voice and purpose in life.

So, how do we tap into our intuition? Dr. Bird describes intuition as a muscle, the more we listen to it, the more we use it, and the stronger it becomes. She also reminds us to combat our perfectionism actively, to stop striving for perfection and instead strives for “humanism.” In doing so, we enhance our ability to tap into our intuition.

Moreover, she discusses the effect of society's demand for making decisions based on rationality and the idea that intuition is not considered “rational.” So, over time it has become our tendency to stamp out this sense within us.

Melissa also dives into the complexity of race and ancestry and shares a bit about her complex heritage. She explains how our sense of groundedness and identity influence our connectedness with ourselves and our intuition.

She recommends three parts in learning to reconnect with your intuition: Learn how to listen to your body, acknowledge when you’re questioning yourself, and when you realize you may have let other factors guide you, stop shaming yourself for “not listening.” We are all individuals, and we reach our sense of intuition differently.

Click here to listen!

How to reach Dr. Bird:

• WEBSITE
• FACEBOOK
• INSTAGRAM

Heike’s insights on the Pursue Your Spark are so helpful in creating a well-rounded, healthy lifestyle”! ← If that sounds like you, consider rating and reviewing my show here! This helps me support more empty-nester moms 50+ – just like you – redefining their second half of life. Click here, scroll to the bottom, and select “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you loved most about the episode!

There is always something new on the feed, and if you’re not following, there’s a chance you’ll miss out. Follow now!

Links mentioned in the show:

• Fasted + Fit Over 50 Jump Start
• Empty Nest Reboot program
• Reinvention Rebels Podcast

Struggling with insomnia in midlife? It might be trying to tell you something important. In “What Your Midlife Insomnia Is Trying to Tell You,” we explore how sleep patterns change as we age and the unexpected reasons behind restless nights.

Our expert guest, Martha Lewis, founder of The Sleep Detective, shares how mastering your sleep routine can be life-changing. Her journey started with her son Parker's sleep troubles, leading her to help others find their way to restful nights. Tune in to learn how you can finally get the sleep you deserve.

Martha is not just any expert; she's a certified sleep expert, functional health coach, and the visionary founder behind The Sleep Detective. With an approach beyond the surface level of sleep advice, Martha dives into the physiological and psychological factors contributing to insomnia, offering innovative and effective solutions.

She talks about what to do when you can't fall asleep, natural remedies for insomnia, why you have trouble sleeping, and what causes chronic insomnia. But what do you do when you can't fall asleep? What are the natural remedies for insomnia? Why do you have trouble sleeping? And what causes chronic insomnia?

Martha's advice regarding diet’s impact on sleep is clear and actionable. She discusses how maintaining stable blood sugar levels through the night can be a game-changer for those who wake up when the world is still asleep.

Martha addresses the concept of 'positive intelligence' and shares how, surprisingly, mindfulness and meditation have been the keys to unlocking better sleep for many of her clients. Plus, she gives us her take on intermittent fasting's role in enhancing sleep quality, shedding light on how our eating patterns influence our nights.

For anyone tossing and turning at 3 a.m., Martha provides straightforward strategies to help ease back into sleep. She challenges the notion of sleep debt and discusses the potential benefits of naps for women in midlife.

Dive in with us as Martha Lewis, The Sleep Detective, uncovers the secrets to conquering those 3 am wake-ups and transforming our nights into a haven of restful sleep.

We would love to hear about your troubles and successes in dealing with insomnia or any questions you might have. Send an email to [email protected] with the word ‘Insomnia’ in the subject line to share your thoughts.

Connect with Martha here:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

Links mentioned in the show:

• Fasted + Fit Over 50 Jump Start