The Fruitful Fifteen Jen and Sarah

Episode Outline/Takeaways
There are three distinct types of personalities when it comes to being healthy. Those who like to take baby steps towards achieving their goals, those who are all or nothing, and those who think they are in one camp but are actually in the other.
Tips for those who like baby steps (still useful for the all or nothing people):
Identify what you are already eating that is plant based and increase the ratio of those foods in your diet
Think about substitutions for meat such as swapping the meat in tacos for bean
Visit https://www.forksoverknives.com/ for plant based meal recipes
Add some new items that you may not have tried https://runningonrealfood.com/ 
Try throwing some dark leafy greens on your normal meals
Take transitioning to plant based slowly in order to not upset your digestive system too much
Have a mindset of experimentation and don’t give up when something doesn’t work
Intro/Outro Music Credit: Corner Store Breakfast by Reasonforworry
Edited by Stephen Barnett

Episode Outline/Takeaways
One can get the benefits of nature even if you don’t have access to something like a national park. Eg. Courtyards, medians, house plants and even pictures of nature.
Experiencing nature has many physical benefits such as lower cortisol levels, lower heart rate and lower blood pressure
Nature can help restore your attention and decrease stress so things can feel more manageable allowing you to sort out what is actually important.
Forest bathing is one of the ways you can reap the benefits of being in nature https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/forest-bathing-nature-walk-health 
Practicing mindfulness and walking near nature is also beneficial.
Takeaways:
Nature is good for you!
Nature doesn’t have to be exclusively in the wilderness. There are many ways one can 
experience nature.
Try mindfulness or stillness practices in the wilderness
Check out https://vistaslifecoaching.com/ for more information

Intro/Outro Music Credit: Corner Store Breakfast by Reasonforworry
Edited by Stephen Barnett

Episode Outline/Takeaways
If you have people in your household that don’t eat plant based, try using deconstructed meals in order to make serving everyone easier.
Give family members options on what they eat allowing them to be more autonomous
Prepare your kids for eating plant based by informing them before transitioning to a plant based diet in order to ease the process 
Keeping meals simple can make the transition to plant based much easier and more sustainable
Use resources like https://www.gimmesomeoven.com, https://minimalistbaker.com/ or https://ohsheglows.com for plant based recipes
Make sure that kids are getting their caloric needs in, as well as healthy fats (peanuts, seeds, avocados, etc…)
Studies show kids may have a reduced risk of asthma if they follow a plant based diet 
https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/78/11/928/5804968 
Studies also show kids may have a higher IQ when following a plant based diet
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1790799/ 
Even if kids initially don’t want a specific food, keep offering it so that they can see it and potentially start to understand that it is a viable option to eat.
Deelish chocolate pudding recipe: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/avocado-chocolate-mousse-vegan-healthy/
Takeaways:
Find a basic beans and rice recipe that fits with your lifestyle, think about some fun toppings and then try three variations over three weeks! Have it once a week and see how you like it! What works? What doesn’t work?
Sit down with household member and have conversation about wanting to eat more plant-based. Brainstorm some ideas for supporting each other.
Find three different ways to use black beans! (Salads, tacos, and black bean dip)
https://minimalistbaker.com/instant-pot-black-beans-perfect-beans-every-time/
https://runningonrealfood.com/vegan-black-beans-rice/

Intro/Outro Music Credit: Corner Store Breakfast by Reasonforworry
Edited by Stephen Barnett

Episode Outline/Takeaways
A whole food plant based diet is when you eat plants in the form that is as close as possible to when they came out of the earth. (IE oreos vs kale)
Telling someone you are vegan only lets them know what you don’t eat whereas telling them you eat whole food plant based lets them know what you do eat.
Whole food plant based is not only about not eating dairy, fish, meats, etc… but also eating minimally processed foods (less salt, oil, and sugar).
While it may seem like the healthiest diet changes year to year based on what the popular press publishes, the reality based on medical studies has shown for a long time that the mediterranean diet and the whole food plant based diet are some of the most beneficial for health.
The DASH diet is the dietary approach to stop hypertension and promote overall heart health. 
DASH is a kind of whole food plant based lite. It is a kind of stepping stone between peoples’ starting diet and a whole food plant based diet that can make eating healthier easier to take on.
Takeaways:
Whole food plant based is about limiting the processed foods you eat which leads to added health benefits.
Find the documentary ‘What The Health’ here at https://www.netflix.com/title/80174177
Find the book ‘Fiber Fueled: The Plant-Based Gut Health Program for Losing Weight, Restoring Your Health, and Optimizing Your Microbiome’ by Will Bulsiewicz here at https://www.amazon.com/Fiber-Fueled-Plant-Based-Optimizing-Microbiome/dp/059308456X
For more information on the DASH diet https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/education/dash-eating-plan

Intro/Outro Music Credit: Corner Store Breakfast by Reasonforworry
Edited by Stephen Barnett

Episode Outline/Takeaways
In short, risky substances (tobacco, alcohol, and drugs) are bad.
Even bad habits like heavy social media usage can affect you negatively or take up a
large amount of time.
We often spend a lot of time shaming ourselves for these bad habits and waste our
energy.
Habit stacking is a great behavioral intervention where you take multiple small habits
that are already automatic and stacking them together. This enables you to start or stop
doing something.
For example: If you have difficulties waking up in the morning, you can set a routine
where you start your coffee machine as soon as you get up from bed. Then after
washing your face, your coffee is ready for you to drink while checking your emails.
Creating this habit trains your brain to recognize that this is a reward to look forward to
when you wake up resulting in it being easier over time.
Another example: If you aimlessly scroll through social media while brushing your teeth,
you can try to do something else like turning off and dimming the lights in your house
while brushing your teeth instead. You are replacing the bad habit with something new.
If you find yourself doing things like trying to relax after work with a glass or two of wine,
remove the “with” part of it and realize you ultimately just want to relax. Now find
something new that is relaxing like playing with your dog, talking on the phone to a
friend, etc. 


Takeaways:
Substance use is an important problem. For tobacco, quit lines are available. 1-800-Quit-Now is recommended.
For other substances—try: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
Give yourself the time and space to sit what the habit is and what it is doing for you.
Habit stacking can be helpful in setting better habits.
Don’t sit too long in the guilt and shame. Use habit stacking to make small changes to these habits and help you lead a healthier lifestyle.
Intro/Outro Music Credit: Corner Store Breakfast by Reasonforworry
Edited by Stephen Barnett

Episode Outline/Takeaways
Social connection is often a neglected or overlooked pillar of health.
Health-related measures like blood pressure, stress levels, and heart rate improve with social connection.  Your overall happiness also increases even with short, positive interactions.
Social media is not a replacement for this.  This type of connection often leads to comparison when viewing everyone’s “best life” version instead of reality.
Gossiping also is a pseudo-connection as it does not foster trust or deeper connections.
Spending time with people where you are engaging in unhealthy behaviors is another pseudo-connection that does not help
You want to have fun and create deep, meaningful connections.  You want to be in flow, be connected, and feel playful.
Volunteering at an animal shelter, joining a book club, joining a religious/spiritual group, joining a walking/hiking group, and doing workshops are all ways to connect with people in a positive way.
Goal setting can be done for this, especially when you get specific.  For example: I will increase my social connection by making sure to meet with my once monthly book club consistently for the next 6 months.
 Even introverts need social connection and interaction.  Find small ways to increase your social connection without making it stressful or exhausting for yourself.  Try virtual co-working spaces like being on a Zoom call together while getting individual work done to where you feel like you are with people even though you are alone.  Even something small like working at a coffee shop and interacting with the coffee shop workers can help.
Try to hit multiple pillars of health at the same time by eating a healthy meal with a friend or going on a walk together.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to your healthcare provider or therapist if you are feeling isolated and lonely.  They can help get you on the right track.  


Takeaways:
Social connection is really important for both psychological and physical health.  This is true regardless of your personality type.
Foster the relationships that help you be your best self and engage in healthy behaviors.
Multi-task by trying to hit multiple pillars of health by engaging in a healthy activity with friends to add the social connection component in at the same time.
Intro/Outro Music Credit: Corner Store Breakfast by Reasonforworry