Wellness Unedited Mercey Livingston

Today's episode features Emily Fletcher, founder of Ziva Meditation. Ziva is a type of meditation that uses a three-part technique to help you reduce stress, feel better, and improve your mental resilience. 
In today's episode, we chat all about meditation, the difference between meditation and mindfulness, how to reframe stress, and we chat about Emily's story finding meditation and eventually creating the Ziva technique.
Link:
zivameditation.com
"Stress Less, Accomplish More" book
ZivaKIDS

Dan Churchill is a performance chef (he was Lindsey Vonn's personal chef during the 2018 Winter Olympics), a former contestant on MasterChef Australia, named one of Forbes' 30 Under 30 in 2019, and he is the owner of Charley Street Cafe in NYC. Dan is also a health and fitness coach and the chef for Chris Hemsworth's wellness app Centr.
In today's episode, you'll hear all about Dan's approachable take to healthy living and how his Aussie roots influenced his passion for healthy food and living an active lifestyle. We chat about his background as a chef, and how he started working with Chris Hemsworth on the Centr app. We also chat about how to make healthy cooking less intimidating, the importance of taking care of yourself, and all things food and community.
Links:
Dan's website
Centr app
Dan's IG: @dan_churchill 
Charley Street

Elizabeth and Dale are the co-founders and influencers behind the fitness and lifestyle blog/Instagram account Sweats and The City. The two friends started out sharing honest reviews of fitness classes in NYC and eventually built their platform/blog into a full-time business.
As part of the Work in Wellness Series, I sat down with the duo to chat about what happens behind-the-scenes as influencers, how they built their business from a side-hustle to full-time, and they share their tips and advice for aspiring influencers. 
Links:
Sweats and The City Instagram
Sweat with Sweats 
Sweatsandcity.com
 

Welcome to the new Work in Wellness Wednesday series! With so many people launching new careers, pivoting, or starting side-hustles, lots of people are looking for advice while navigating this shift and new normal. I get asked a lot about how to freelance or break into the wellness industry, so I'm starting a new series with new episodes every other Wednesday where I interview different industry professionals about their career path and how to do what they do.
One of the most frequently asked questions I get as a full-time freelance writer/consultant is how to start freelance writing.
Diana Levey is a veteran journalist, editor, and writer and has been a full-time freelance writer since 2013. She has a track record writing for top health media outlets and brands and now she helps other freelancers learn how to build sustainable freelance careers through coaching and resources on her website Dianakelly.com. No matter what topics or industry you're interested in writing about, Diana's advice is a must-listen if you're interested in starting a freelance side hustle or full-time career.
In today's episode we cover:
-How Diana started freelancing after she was laid off from a media job
-Her advice for new writers looking to build their portfolio and start pitching media outlets
-The "unsexy" business side of freelance writing you should know about
-What type of training or background you need to get started (hint: pretty much anyone can do it)
-Diana's tips for getting your first freelance writing assignment
-Her tips for writing about health and wellness and if you need to have a writing niche
-How to set your rates
Links:
DianaKelly.com
Diana's e-courses: Freelance Writing Weekend Jumpstart and Get Paid to Write 
https://freelance-writing-online-course.teachable.com/
Use code WellnessUnedited for 20% off Diana's courses or e-books!
Mediabistro.com (The site I mentioned for more freelance writing resources)
Find me and read my articles at merceylivingston.com

Are you curious about all the hype surrounding CBD? It's one of the most talked about and controversial topics in wellness, and there's a lot to know when it comes to how CBD actually works (and if it works), what kinds of products are out there, and the science behind all of the buzz.
Chris Roth was an investment banker who studied CBD research before anyone really knew about it and became an early-adopter of CBD. After seeing positive results with CBD personally for managing his anxiety, he knew he had to share what he found. So Highline Wellness was born and it was one of the first brands to bring CBD to New York City's wellness scene.
In today's episode, you'll hear about Chris's journey founding a CBD company (before the craze started) and the story behind the science of CBD and why it's taken so long to get more research on the products.
Disclaimer: CBD products are not regulated or approved by the FDA (except for one prescription drug) and you should consult your doctor or healthcare professional before starting this or any other supplement.
Chris is giving Wellness Unedited listeners 20% off your order at Highline Wellness with code: wellnessunedited20 
P.s. my fave product is the Mint CBD Oil 
Topic breakdown by the minute:
6:30- How Chris discovered CBD when he worked at an investment bank
11:00 - The history and current state of CBD research 
17: 00 - The story behind how CBD helped his family's dog with health issues
21:00 - How CBD works to help keep your body in balance
25:40  - How to choose the best CBD product and dosage for you
31:40 - CBD and anxiety 
36:30 - Chris's experience with panic attacks and anxiety and how CBD helped 
50:00 - THC concerns: Will CBD show on a drug test?
Links:

Chris Roth Instagram
Highline Wellness Instagram
Highline Wellness website
 

Gut health is one of the buzziest and most complicated topics in wellness. To help break it all down I'm sitting down with Dr. Will Bulsiewicz (aka Dr. B), a gastroenterologist and gut health expert and NYT Bestselling author of Fiber Fueled. Dr. Bulsiewicz went from being a sick, anxious young doctor to totally transforming his health with diet and lifestyle after adopting a plant-based diet thanks to his then-girlfriend now wife. Since then he's preached the power of diet and lifestyle to help his own patients heal and optimize their gut health as a doctor. We talk about optimizing your gut health through plants and fiber, the gut health and immune system connection, how your gut affects your brain and mental health, and what you really need to know about probiotic supplements. Dr. B also shares tips for how to navigate wellness information overload and how to figure out what is research-backed and based on solid science. 
Topics by the minute:
9:00 - Dr. B's experience with anxiety, weight gain, and high blood pressure and how he transformed his health through a plant-based eating approach
14:50 - Mental health, anxiety, and the gut health connection 
20:00 - Why doctors don't usually teach patients about nutrition 
26:00 - Getting to the root of the problem and addressing health problems holistically with food and lifestyle 
27:15 - How elimination diets and other restrictive diets can harm gut health and the microbiome
32: 00 - The American Gut project study that said the diversity of plants is the key to supporting microbes in the gut
37: 00 - Navigating health information and how to find information rooted in science 
44:00 - How to get enough fiber in your diet with food and supplements + the truth about probiotics 
49:00 - Dr. B's take on Wheat, gluten, and lectins aka some of the most controversial topics in nutrition and wellness 
60:00 - Food sensitivities and testing and gluten sensitivity 

Links: 
Dr. B Research guide
The Plant Fed Gut Online Course
Fiber Fueled Book
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WellnessUnedited.com
NEW Work in Wellness Wednesday's career series launching soon!