Have you ever eaten what should have been a perfectly healthy meal… and felt terrible afterwards? We spend so much time talking about what we eat. But we spend far less time talking about how we eat — and whether our bodies are actually in a state to receive what we are giving them. In this episode of The Abundance Effect, Larisa Makuch is joined by Carley Simandl, a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, Yoga Teacher, and International Wellness Retreat Host. Carley began her career as a professional makeup artist, working in film, fashion, television, and advertising, completing over 10,000 faces in her makeup chair. But after seeing recurring patterns of redness, inflammation, dehydration, and skin concerns in her clients, she became curious about what was happening beneath the surface. That curiosity led her into holistic nutrition, digestion, detoxification, yoga, breathwork, mindfulness, and what she now calls beauty from the inside out — one breath and one bite at a time. Inside this episode, Larisa and Carley explore: ✔ Why you are not just what you eat — you are what you digest, absorb, assimilate, and eliminate ✔ Why healthy food can still leave you feeling bloated, tired, or uncomfortable ✔ How stress and rushing affect digestion ✔ Why chewing your food matters more than most people realize ✔ Why the mouth is an important but often overlooked part of digestion ✔ How digestion moves through ingestion, digestion, absorption, assimilation, and elimination ✔ Why mindful eating can change your energy, skin, mood, and overall well-being ✔ The connection between food, mood, emotions, and the nervous system ✔ Why your body needs to be in a receptive state to properly digest ✔ How gratitude and presence can shift your physiology before a meal ✔ Why detox is not one-size-fits-all ✔ What your skin may be telling you about what is happening inside ✔ Why food is an investment in your energy, clarity, performance, and vitality Carley also shares simple practices you can begin using right away, including pausing before a meal, breathing, expressing gratitude, chewing more intentionally, sitting down to eat, and removing distractions from your eating environment. This conversation is especially powerful if you struggle with bloating, low energy, skin issues, sluggish digestion, emotional eating, or feeling disconnected from your body. It is also a beautiful reminder that the simple things are often the things we most easily dismiss. Sit down. Breathe. Chew. Pause. Pay attention. Your body is always communicating with you. The question is whether you are listening. ✨ Connect with Carley Simandl Website: www.thepowerflowcouple.com Learn more about Carley’s Rest and Digest Retreat: https://www.thepowerflowcouple.com/wellness-retreats/rest-and-digest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carleysimandl/ 🔗 Connect with Larisa Website: https://myabundanceacademy.ca/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myabundanceacademy/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larisa-makuch/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larisa.makuch Join the Unleash Your Abundance Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/unleashyourabundancenow
