Changing the Face of Our Wellness with Rachel Harper

Rachel Harper

Black women often face unique barriers to wellness, from systemic inequalities to cultural pressures. This podcast was created to challenge those obstacles and celebrate the strength, resilience, and potential of Black women. Your health is not a luxury—it’s essential. Join a community of women committed to breaking generational patterns, thriving in their well-being, and changing the face of wellness for generations to come. Subscribe to Changing the Face of Our Wellness and take the first step toward a healthier, happier, and more empowered you. Let’s heal, grow, and reset—together.

  1. 3d ago

    How to Guard Your Body from Stress and High Blood Pressure | Educators | Episode 38

    What if your body isn't overreacting...what if it's responding exactly the way it's been trained to?Every school day brings decisions, interruptions, deadlines, and constant responsibility. Over time, your body may begin to interpret that environment as one continuous emergency—even when you're simply doing your job.In this episode, I explore a question that completely changed the way I think about educator health:What if your body believes every school day is an emergency?We'll talk about how the culture of education can shape your body's stress response, why this matters for your heart health, and what it means if your blood pressure, energy, or recovery haven't been the same since entering education.This isn't about blaming education.It's about understanding what your body may be trying to tell you. Watch on the Youtube Channel

  2. Jul 22

    The First Thing Healthy Educators Do Before the School Year Begins

    Before you prepare your classroom, prepare your heart. As educators, we spend weeks getting ready for a new school year. We organize classrooms, write lesson plans, and think about our students—but many of us never stop to ask one simple question: What is my blood pressure? In this episode, I'm sharing why checking your blood pressure is one of the most important first steps you can take before the school year begins. High blood pressure often develops without obvious symptoms, which is why it's known as the "silent killer." If you're waiting until you don't feel well, you may already be behind. This isn't about becoming obsessed with health. It's about taking one small step that could help you protect your heart and stop losing your health to the education system. This school year, don't just prepare your classroom. Prepare yourself. In this episode you'll learn: Why blood pressure should be every educator's starting pointWhy feeling healthy isn't the same as being healthyHow the demands of education can quietly impact your heartThe first simple step to begin resetting your health this school year If you're ready to take the guesswork out of your health journey, take the Wellness Gap Quiz.

  3. Jul 18

    Episode 35: How I Stopped Losing My Health to the Education System | Saturday Reset

    Educator Health Gap Quiz You've probably downloaded the meal plan, started the workout program, or followed advice from someone whose results you wanted. But if you've ever wondered why it worked for them and not for you, this episode is for you. I'm sharing why the best plan for improving your blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and even your response to stress isn't the most popular plan—it's the one that's personalized to your life, your health history, your schedule, and your current habits. As educators, we're often handed generic health advice that ignores the realities of the school day. A personalized plan considers where you are now, what's driving your current health numbers, and what changes will actually be sustainable. In this episode, you'll learn: Why generic health plans often fail.What makes a personalized health plan different.How individualized strategies can improve blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and stress regulation.The first step to creating a plan that works with your life instead of against it.If you're tired of starting over every Monday, this episode will help you think differently about what it really takes to improve your health for the long term. ________________ Keep In Touch Subscribe to the YouTube Channel

  4. Jul 15

    Episode 34: Why Your Health Plan Isn't Working

    Take the Educator Health Gap Quiz Here Why Your Health Plan Isn't Working Every summer it happens. You tell yourself this will be the year you finally get healthy. You meal prep. You walk every morning. You drink more water. Your blood pressure starts coming down. You have more energy. Maybe you even lose a few pounds. Then August arrives. The alarm goes off before sunrise. Meetings fill your calendar. Lunch becomes whatever you can grab in five minutes. By October, you're wondering how you ended up right back where you started. It isn't because you lack discipline. In this episode, we're talking about why so many health plans fall apart once the school year begins—and why that isn't a personal failure. We'll unpack the difference between the freedom of summer and the reality of the school year, the impact each season has on your blood pressure, cholesterol, energy, and long-term health, and the common plans educators keep relying on that simply don't work: The "I'll Start Monday" Plan The Reactive Healthcare Plan The Generic Wellness Plan The Vacation Reset Plan If you've ever felt like you're constantly starting over every school break, this conversation is for you. Because educators find a way to fit lesson planning, grading, meetings, parent conferences, and everyone else's needs into their lives. The question isn't whether it's possible to make room for your health. The question is whether you have a health plan that's actually built for the life you live. It's time to stop restarting and start building a personalized approach you can sustain—not just during summer break, but all year long.

  5. Jul 12

    Episode 33: Lower Your Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, and More with This

    Take the Educator Health Gap Quiz Here Educators: You track student data constantly, but when did you last measure your own health? I was uniquely and wonderfully made with one kidney.My doctor mentioned that she would continue observing the health of my kidney. Should my numbers start declining, we would need to have a conversation about lifestyle or perhaps work. For instance, we would discuss if I have a career where I'm holding "it" and not going to the restroom as much as I should while working. This conversation confirmed what I've been saying to educators: The education system can affect your health. Let me ask you this: How often has a meeting at school ran over into your lunch hour and the healthy lunch you intended to eat suddenly became a quick bag of chips just to hold you over?How often are you avoiding drinking "too much water" because it's not easy to step away from your class or other duties during the school day? When this happens once or twice, okay, we can move past it. But when it's happening multiple times during the school day, year after year, your body takes the greatest hit. If you're serious about no longer losing your health to the education system, follow @the_rachel_harper for help. And remember, you don't have to lose your health to the education system. #EducatorWellness #TeacherHealth #SelfCareForTeachers #EducationSystem #PrioritizeHealth #TeacherLife #WorkLifeBalance #ReelsForEducators Subscribe to the YouTube channel for more

  6. Jul 8

    Episode 32: The Secret to Being an Educator without Losing Your Health

    The Secret to Being an Educator Without Losing Your Health Is there really a way to thrive in education without sacrificing your health? For too long, educators have been told that exhaustion, skipped meals, chronic stress, and putting themselves last are simply part of the job. But what if losing your health isn't a requirement for being a great educator? In this episode, I share what I've learned as an exercise physiologist and educator about why so many health plans fall apart during the school year—and why the answer isn't simply more discipline or motivation. In this episode, you'll learn: Why educators often lose healthy habits during the school yearThe biggest misconception about improving your healthHow the HEAL • GROW • RESET framework can help you build a healthier, more sustainable approach to wellness If this episode resonates with you, take the free Educator Health Gap Quiz to discover whether your biggest health gap is in HEAL, GROW, or RESET, and take the first step toward building a healthier future. Subscribe to the YouTube channel

  7. Jun 24

    Episode 31: How I Lowered My Cholesterol in 4 Months (Without Extreme Dieting)

    How I Lowered My Cholesterol in Just 4 Months (Without Extreme Diets)When I saw my #cholesterol numbers, I knew something had to change. In this video, I'm sharing exactly what I did over four months to improve my cholesterol and support my heart health.As an exercise physiologist, I know that lowering cholesterol isn't about quick fixes, fad diets, or perfection. It's about making consistent changes that support your body over time.In this video, I'll share:✔️ The lifestyle changes I made✔️ The habits that had the biggest impact✔️ What I stopped doing✔️ How stress affects heart health✔️ Lessons I learned along the wayIf you're an ambitious woman who is successful on the outside but struggling to prioritize your health, this conversation is for you.Your health doesn't have to be sacrificed for your success. The goal isn't just to live longer—it's to have the energy, clarity, and vitality to fully live the life you're called to lead.✨ Subscribe for conversations on #hearthealth , #stressrecovery , sustainable #wellness , and helping high-achieving women build a life their health can sustain.#HeartHealth #LowerCholesterol #WomensHealth #PreventHeartDisease #HighAchievingWomen #WellnessJourney #StressAndHealth #HealthyLifestyle #ExercisePhysiologist #CalledAndSustainedQuestion: What is one health habit you've changed that made a difference for you? Share in the comments below. 👇Subscribe to the Youtube channel‪@therachelharper‬

  8. Jun 17

    Episode 30: Protect Your Health with Boundaries

    What if success isn't the problem? What if the real question is whether your life is being carried in a way that can sustain the calling you've been entrusted with? In this introductory episode of Called and Sustained, we're exploring a question that many high-achieving women never stop to ask: Is your health capable of supporting the life you're building? For years, we've celebrated hustle, sacrifice, and pushing through. But eventually, the body keeps score. Fatigue, stress, overwhelm, and chronic health struggles are often signs that the way we're carrying our calling is no longer sustainable. In this episode, you'll discover the one thing you need to first sustain your calling. If you're winning on paper but feeling worn out in real life, this series is for you. It's time to stop asking, "How much more can I carry?" and start asking, "How can I carry this well?" Welcome to Called and Sustained. Keep In Touch Subscribe on YouTube Read the Blog Ge Your Health In Order Take the Wellness Gap Quiz

See All (39)

About

Black women often face unique barriers to wellness, from systemic inequalities to cultural pressures. This podcast was created to challenge those obstacles and celebrate the strength, resilience, and potential of Black women. Your health is not a luxury—it’s essential. Join a community of women committed to breaking generational patterns, thriving in their well-being, and changing the face of wellness for generations to come. Subscribe to Changing the Face of Our Wellness and take the first step toward a healthier, happier, and more empowered you. Let’s heal, grow, and reset—together.

Information