Transform Your Life: Simple Fitness & Wellness Tips for Every Age
Laura Mak Quist - Wellness Coach Empowering and educating women so they can live a life brimming with well-being, both inside and out.
Achieving a healthier lifestyle is something many of us aim for, but it can often feel overwhelming.
Whether you’re just starting out or already in tune with your wellness journey, there are simple, actionable steps you can take to enhance your physical and mental well-being. In this post, inspired by Laura Mak’s appearance on the You World Order Showcase Podcast, we’ll share easy fitness and wellness tips that work for every age.
The Benefits of Starting Small
One of the most valuable insights shared by Laura Mak, a wellness coach with years of experience, is the power of starting small.
Rather than diving into long, intense workouts or overhauling your entire lifestyle, focus on adding small, manageable habits that contribute to your wellness over time.
This approach reduces stress and increases the likelihood of sticking to a new routine, which is crucial for long-term success.
Why Monday Doesn’t Have to Be Your “Start Day”
Many people feel pressured to start a new routine at the beginning of the week, often on a Monday.
Laura encourages her clients to start whenever they feel ready, regardless of the day. This flexibility empowers you to begin whenever motivation strikes, removing any unnecessary guilt around a specific schedule.
Finding Enjoyable Ways to Stay Active
Movement doesn’t have to mean running or lifting heavy weights at the gym. According to Laura, finding joy in movement is key to making it a regular part of your life. If you enjoy dancing, yoga, hiking, or swimming, prioritize those activities.
Each of these offers unique benefits—such as balance, flexibility, or cardio—and they make exercise feel like fun rather than a chore.
Adapting Workouts to Different Life Stages
As we age, our bodies change, and what worked in our 20s might not be suitable in our 50s or 60s. Laura advises tailoring your fitness routine to your body’s current needs.
If high-intensity workouts are no longer enjoyable or lead to injury, consider incorporating more gentle forms of exercise, such as yoga, Pilates, or low-impact strength training. Not only will these exercises support joint health, but they also promote balance and flexibility, which are essential as we age.
Listening to Your Body’s Unique Needs
No two bodies are the same, so why should two workout routines be identical? Laura highlights the importance of listening to your own body.
Whether you’re dealing with joint pain, hormonal changes, or specific fitness goals, adapt your approach to fit your personal needs. This flexibility allows you to maintain a sustainable wellness routine that evolves as you do.
Mindset: The Foundation of Wellness
Laura reminds us that a healthy body starts with a healthy mind. Cultivating resilience, motivation, and a positive outlook plays a crucial role in achieving wellness. Regularly check in with yourself: Are your thoughts supporting your goals?
By fostering a resilient mindset, you’re better equipped to overcome obstacles and maintain focus on your journey.
The Role of Nutrition in Supporting Fitness Goals
Nutrition is more than a support tool for fitness—it’s the foundation of well-being. Laura encourages clients to experiment with different dietary choices as they age. For example, some people find that their bodies no longer respond well to certain foods, such as dairy or coffee, which they may have enjoyed in their youth.
Paying attention to your body’s reactions can help you tailor your diet to support both physical and mental wellness.
Healthy Eating Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated
A balanced diet doesn’t need to involve complicated recipes or expensive ingredients. Laura suggests starting with a few basic principles: prioritize whole foods, minimize processed items, and incorporate seasonal ingredients.
You don’t need to overhaul your kitchen overnight; instead, introduce small, sustainable changes that lead to lasting habits.
The Importance of Balance and Stability Exercises
Balance, stability, and strength are especially critical as we age, as they help prevent falls and improve overall mobility. Laura encourages incorporating simple exercises like standing on one leg or practicing yoga poses.
These small but impactful movements enhance your core strength, boost stability, and build a foundation for more complex activities, helping you stay active and resilient.
Recovery and Rest: The Often-Overlooked Keys to Wellness
Too often, people overlook the importance of recovery. Stretching, foam rolling, and taking rest days are just as vital as the workouts themselves.
Laura suggests foam rolling sessions and recovery exercises that can alleviate tension in areas like the shoulders, back, and hips. Building recovery time into your routine ensures your muscles have time to heal, reducing the risk of burnout or injury.
Consistency Over Intensity: Why Every Effort Counts
Laura emphasizes that consistency matters more than intensity. A 10-minute walk, a quick yoga session, or a few strength exercises throughout the day are all valuable.
This approach is especially helpful for those with busy schedules, as it removes the pressure to complete a full workout while still offering physical benefits.
Connecting with a Community for Motivation
For many, joining a community can provide valuable support and motivation. Laura’s Yoga Fit Life community offers classes and meal plans for members, allowing individuals to find guidance and encouragement without needing to leave their homes. Whether in person or online, a wellness community can help keep you accountable, inspired, and connected to others on a similar path.
Getting Started
Embarking on a wellness journey doesn’t require drastic changes or strenuous workouts. By focusing on small, meaningful habits—like finding movement you enjoy, listening to your body, and staying consistent—you can create a lifestyle that supports your well-being at any age. Remember that wellness is a journey, not a destination. With the right mindset and support, you can continue to grow, evolve, and live a life full of energy and vitality.
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Transcript
Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Hi and welcome to the world order, showcase. Podcast I'm your host, Jill Hart. And with me today is Laura Mac Quist. Laura is a wellness coach, empowering and educating women so that they can live a life brimming with well, being both inside and out. Welcome to the show, Laura Mac.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Lovely to have you with us.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Thank you so much for having me here today. It's such a pleasure.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: We were just joking about our favorite days of the week.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: and we both decided that Mondays are great days, because they just have so much potential right.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Right. There's so much possibility for how you can create the week that you really want to have. And so it's the beginning of the week. So why not start it out on a high note instead of kind of you know some people go into it dreading it, and it's no, it doesn't have to be like that. It's it is the beginning. So you can create it. How you want it to be.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Absolutely. But you don't have to wait for Monday right.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Absolutely. That's what I always say. Why not start living fit now
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::Laura Mak Quist: that.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Crazy.
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::Laura Mak Quist: You.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: How did you get into this.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Gosh! Fitness has always been part of my life ever since childhood I was a gymnast growing up, and then I got a scholarship for gymnastics at Michigan State University, and
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::Laura Mak Quist: and you know, my, I grew up in Michigan, and I remember it was about 8th or 9th grade, and my Dad had put this little seed into my head, and he said, You know they have this thing out in California, where people actually pay other people to teach them how to exercise correctly. And I said.
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::Laura Mak Quist: That sounds fabulous. I can't think of a better lifestyle.
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::Laura Mak Quist: and
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::Laura Mak Quist: you think about it. This was like in the early eighties, right when personal training was coming on the scene and group fitness was gaining its momentum, and so I had. I earned both my
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::Laura Mak Quist: Bachelors and Master's degree in exercise science. And when I was between undergraduate and graduate school, I started with a couple of mentors, the 1st home training business in East Lansing, and it was wonderful because we got to work with the president of the University. We got to work with other local celebrities and TV hosts, you know, people who really wanted to stay fit, because at that point
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::Laura Mak Quist: it was such a new thing. So we're just trying to feel it out and see the interest, and boy did it take off. And then from Michigan I got to move down to Atlanta, and I started another personal training business down there and did a lot of let's see, I did some auditioning for dancing, because with the dance and gymnastics those went together, and then I decided
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::Laura Mak Quist: per my dance coach, he said. You know you just need to go into fitness. You don't have to share the stage with anyone you can perform and be on the stage and inspire others. And I said, Okay, fine. I'll go into fitness. And so within a year I won my pro card and got to compete into the Ifbb fitness, and I did that for several years, which was really a great experience, because that kind of opened up some new doors for
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::Laura Mak Quist: for writing, for different magazines, for doing photo shoots and contributing workout articles. So I really
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::Laura Mak Quist: got to use that as a complement with my not only my personal training and wellness coaching, but it it got to get out into bigger space other than just my
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::Laura Mak Quist: my ecosystem right around me. And then I moved out to Los Angeles and got to continue personal training, and out there it was great cause. I got to incorporate a lot more beach workouts, which was so much fun. And then I started hosting some retreats, and added Yoga into my repertoire of
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::Laura Mak Quist: dance and strength, training and
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::Laura Mak Quist: active stretching. So it was such a nice compliment.
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::Laura Mak Quist: So I've gotten such this wide range of
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::Laura Mak Quist: exercise and movement. They I it's so much fun. So I get to pull it all together. And now I'm in Seattle.
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::Laura Mak Quist: And so when I work with a client, it's always what is your goal and what do you have?
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::Laura Mak Quist: That is really important to you. And how how can we make that happen? So you know, no 2 bodies are the same. So no true, no 2 workout programs are the same. So we it's a really great way that I get to cater to them. And and you know I've really been blessed in the sense that I get to work with a lot of women that have had
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::Laura Mak Quist: what some might call different issues, right? So like shoulder, pain, back, pain, hip, pain, knee, pain, you know, going through hormone changes. And so all of these are really fun clients for me to work with, because it's not just.
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::Laura Mak Quist: It's not just a weight loss, client. There's something else to it, you know. There's a different
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::Laura Mak Quist: different level that I get to add into it, and it allows me to use creativity and
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::Laura Mak Quist: really cater it to what their needs are.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Love that you have expanded from from gymnastics, which I have a lot of admiration. My aunt was PE teacher, and we would go, and
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: my sisters and I, and she would take us to the gym, and she'd put us on the uneven bars and try to teach us some. My hands, which is all blister, was just not used to that kind of activity. But I it's just you've taken something that you started out with as a kid, and you you've allowed it to grow. And it's not just like the standard exercise or weight training. Or you know, the
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: it's not just like 1 1 size fits all thing that you're offering to your clients. It's like you really have a large array of of things for them to choose from, so that you can tailor it to help them get
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: the best experience, because it's really about having an experience when you're trying to get
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: into a health rather than
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: losing weight, weight, weight, loss is just a symptom. Weight gain is a symptom of an an unhealthy lifestyle. It's not
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: the be all, and end all of itself.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Right? So
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::Laura Mak Quist: yeah, and usually there's some other underlying layers that we have to kind of uncover. And then that comes into play when we get to talk about the mindset and the resilience and the the motivational type of training that we that's always sprinkled through in there throughout the workout throughout our training course together. So yeah, there's a lot of variables that really are important. And
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::Laura Mak Quist: each person has a little bit of a different focus. So being able to have these tools, and then for me to be able to share that with them is makes such a world of difference, and then they can find out what is joyful on their journey of fitness. I I remember in the beginning I used to have clients come up to me. Are you? Gonna make me run. And I said, Well, do you like running? They're like, no, I'm like, well, then, no, I'm not gonna make you run. Why would I do that
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::Laura Mak Quist: I want you to find things that you're gonna do long after we're finished with our training or our yoga together, I want you to find out what works for your lifestyle, what works for your timeline, what works for your body?
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Yeah, it it used to be that, you know it was running, and that was it.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: or Jumping Jacks, or you know the calisthenics thing back
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: back in my day when I was young.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: we had like there were just like categories of things you could do. I chose swimming because, you know it was East.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: I hated running.
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::Laura Mak Quist: I'm in that category, too. I am not afraid to say that, but you know I've cheered a lot of friends on as they've done their marathons, or 5 K's or 10 K's whatever, but that is not for my body, and I am very mindful of that, just for my back or my knees, whatever it is. So you know. And that's that's okay, that
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::Laura Mak Quist: there are so many different types of activities. And you know, even as we age. What we can do in our twenties and thirties might change a little bit in our thirties, and again in our forties and fifties, and so on. So if we can be aware, and in tune with our body, saying, Oh, okay. Well, now, I need to change it. What used to work. If I was doing a higher intensity program isn't really giving me that
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::Laura Mak Quist: same energy. It's actually taking energy.
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::Laura Mak Quist: So maybe I need to shift something. Maybe I do need to add weight training. Maybe I need to lessen that. Maybe I need to add some more mobility by incorporating Yoga by incorporating different styles of movement
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::Laura Mak Quist: and listening and knowing that you know what this was a great chapter, and that worked for this time of life. And now we're entering into a new chapter and not being afraid of that, because what you did
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::Laura Mak Quist: back at this period worked then. But your body's changing, your hormones are changing, your lifestyle is changing, and so you kind of have to really be in tune, your mind and body, knowing what is going to work together and knowing that it's okay, that a change in workout, a change on intensity level, a change on focus. And that is okay.
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::Laura Mak Quist: As long as you're in with your body.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Yes, and staying in tune with your body keeps you from getting injured, which is like
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: the worst thing when you're getting older. I'm 64 right now, and it I I have injured myself a couple of times and had to say, no. That period of my life is over. I don't jump anymore. And I I don't run. I haven't run for many years. But it there's just like there's certain things that you have to recognize.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Your body is in this stage now, and there are other things that you can do that are, you know, will help maintain muscle, mass and bone mass. And you really do need to do some strength training
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: of some sort to maintain strong bones, because when your bones start going
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: falls falls. Kill so many older people because they just don't maintain their muscle mass.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Right? It's yeah, a combination between not having enough of the strength not having mobility. And then you throw balance on top of that which is one of the reasons why I think Yoga is so wonderful for all ages throughout life, and because there are so many options of different types of Yoga that you can incorporate, but you know there's so much of it that is through the core. But you do get your strength and your
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::Laura Mak Quist: plank position or your down dog. But if you can't do that, there's other options that you can do to protect
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::Laura Mak Quist: shoulders or wrists, and so, having a body, resistance is still strength training.
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::Laura Mak Quist: So, and a lot of people forget about that that. Oh, I'm not lifting heavy anymore. Okay? Well, you know what that just means you're progressing into a different chapter right now. And this chapter includes this type of training, which is maybe more of a body resistance, a yoga. Any other styles like your Pilates or bar. Those are less intensity as far as impact. But they're definitely
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::Laura Mak Quist: impactful in your mobility. Your balance and your strength.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: And just like practicing standing on one foot or the other. It sounds silly, but if you just have it as part of your daily routine. I stand on one foot for 30 second.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: and I stand on the other foot for 30 seconds in. As you get older you continue to do that. It really does help with your balance
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: overall.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Yes, oh, absolutely. Yeah. And even some of my clients. I have some clients that are over 60, and you know they have. We have either like a Bosu ball or a foam pad to stand on, and you know, just doing balances there, you know, even just holding your arms out, or sometimes we'll do standing with both feet there and doing some exercises. So we're moving exercises that you could also do better off center. So not exactly
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::Laura Mak Quist: parallel front or just side. You can kind of do them at a diagonal. So these are a lot of things that I focus on with. That population is protecting themselves and understanding that they could catch themselves in a in a fall. If they're going forward, how do they land and push off their foot to pull back up, so they don't actually go down to the ground. How can we strength our legs and hips and knees to be able to pull it back and find that center once again.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Yeah, it's so important. And the earlier you start the better. Don't don't wait until you're 55, or 60 to to decide that you're gonna start doing this stuff. The younger, you can start
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: just incorporating
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: simple things into your life.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Yeah, you know. And I'm a big fan of incorporating, even, you know, if you don't have a 30 min window, 10 min, 3, 10 min sessions, you know you do a 10 min walk. When you get home from work, or after dinner, you can go with a friend or a spouse or neighbor going for a walk. There's an activity, you know, in the morning doing a little bit of a morning routine to kind of get you going. You know whether you're adding some different stretches, a few push ups, some core work to activate that core, to really
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::Laura Mak Quist: wake it up. So you're like, okay, this is, it's time to work. We're gonna be going on through our day. And let's activate through the core, you know, in these little bits
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::Laura Mak Quist: up throughout the day, so it really can make a big difference. So I want people to remember that if you can't get a 30 or a 60 min workout. A 10 min workout still counts.
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::Laura Mak Quist: So not.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Radio and dance to your favorite song.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: They were 3 songs, 10 min.
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::Laura Mak Quist: I mean, how fun is that.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Yeah, they're just little things that you can do that. You don't have to have like, okay, I need an hour. So I can get dressed and go to the gym and do my workout, and then come home and take a shower. And then you you know
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: you're it's an hour. If you're lucky, it's usually more like 2 or 3 h that you're having to carve out of your day. But it doesn't have to be like that when you're trying to stay fit.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Staying.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Fit is a lifestyle. It's not a
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: a 1, and done.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Yeah, oh, absolutely. And that's that's 1 of the things I I talk about when I'm coaching and going over resilience. And 1st part is is mindset knowing? Okay? Well, if if I can't do what I
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::Laura Mak Quist: set out to do, how can I get it into pieces together? How do I get that 10 min workout or the 15 min workout and know that that's okay, not. It's not the all or nothing program, any. We're we're past that because we know, research has shown, and studies have shown that these little increments of weight, training, or dance party or stretching can really add up and make a difference.
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::Laura Mak Quist: And I find that again with that resilience cycle. But mandatory. Sometimes we get bored with what we're doing, and we need to kind of mix it up, and so finding the fun back in your fitness by finding a different challenge. How can I? How can I add 100 sit ups each day for the next 7 days. How do I do that? Where can I fit that in, or how? Maybe I can challenge my neighbor? Let's go for a walk
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::Laura Mak Quist: every day in August before school starts, because then everything is, gonna you know, mix up the schedule, or how can we get ready for the holidays without
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::Laura Mak Quist: without overdoing the food. Make sure I have.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Small protein drink before I go out to the holiday party, so I know I'm not going to have these sugar cravings.
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::Laura Mak Quist: and that way I can be mindful with my body and still enjoy enjoy being at the party. But I'm just very aware of what I'm doing, because I know I've had my body with some protein before that way I can pick a couple of treats to have.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Lab.
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::Laura Mak Quist: With it. So yeah, these, the the way we can be resilient is using that mindset, mixing up the mandatory, boring middle part. And then also just knowing that it's really meaningful each step that you put in and to re.
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::Laura Mak Quist: I don't. I hate to say the word reward yourself, but you know. Allow yourself to celebrate those milestones, big and small. So you know, you got your 7 days and you hit that challenge high. 5. Yes, that that counts. Let's see what can be your next challenge. So.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: And looking for fun. Things that are different. So you can spice it up, you know.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: have the Internet now so many amazing recipes that for every kind of palate out there, and every kind of you know food exclusionary decision that you're making.
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::Laura Mak Quist: What?
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: I find that different parts of your life you have different
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: different
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: food requirements, things that I loved when I was younger. It's like, yeah.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: I'm not into that anymore. Okay.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Right? Yeah. And again, same thing, just like your fitness, our our food changes are gonna be different. Our nutrition changes are gonna be different. What? What our body needs. You know our hormones are changing. So what we put into our body and how we fuel our body is going to be a little bit different. And so, being aware that
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::Laura Mak Quist: these changes will happen, and
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::Laura Mak Quist: without beating yourself up and being like, why isn't this working anymore, we can say, Okay, what can I do? Let's see how I can make it work. Now that's 1 of the things in the Yoga fit life is, I'll add a weekly meal plan that they can try out. So it's in 3 3 meals a day, and it gives them a a full week that they can try it. So whether you you do that on the 1st week, or you try it out a couple of months
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::Laura Mak Quist: meals this week, and then the next week you try a few, but it just gives the newness into something, because a lot of times we get so stuck on the same meals and the same foods that
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::Laura Mak Quist: it's really important to kind of mix it up as well
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::Laura Mak Quist: and going with seasonal eating, just like our seasonal working out. You know there's different things that you might do in the winter versus in the summer our food should change seasonally as well. And so that's why I like to incorporate these weekly meal plans within the Yoga fit life.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: And also looking at what
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: we get, we do fall into the ruts, the food ruts of of meal prep. And if you've been a parent or you're you've got a spouse. You have like the same
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: 15 things you eat all the time. If if you're lucky.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Right.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: And if you're a cook otherwise you're probably down to 4 or 5 things that you just rotate through. But it's recognizing whether those things still taste good to you
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: and making changes like I recently decided.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: I gave up dairy. I gave up alcohol last year. This year I've I've given up dairy because I've decided, and coffee
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: because coffee was my main mechanism for getting dairy into my diet.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: I I don't really like the way coffee tastes I love how it smells. I could just like
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: hang around and just
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: yeah, soak up the aroma all week. But it doesn't taste like that to me. So why am I continuing to consume it? It's not helping me, and it's just a mechanism for taking in a lot of dairy that it's I don't think Dairy is all that great for me at this stage in my life.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Right.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Either. So
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: it's just it's interesting that, like I incorporated tea instead. I I love the flavor of Earl Grey tea and a little coconut cream in it.
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::Laura Mak Quist: That's 1.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Amazing.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: And coconut
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: is really good for you, anyway, because it's got some medium chain fats in it that are just like super good for your brain, but and it's got the creaminess that I liked about the coffee. But it's not as heavy, and it's just like so much more flavor at this point in my life. For me.
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::Laura Mak Quist: I love it, you know that is such a great example of using mindfulness in your own lifestyle. Becoming aware that you know coffee doesn't taste as good. And I'm doing this habit because it once worked for me. But now it's not, and and sometimes
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::Laura Mak Quist: like you did, we have to really stop and think about our habits? Are our habits really moving us forward? Or is it a habit that's actually kind of holding us back?
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::Laura Mak Quist: And so you talking about giving up coffee and and not interested in dairy anymore and finding something new, because a lot of times most people have that ritual with coffee, and then
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::Laura Mak Quist: and there's also the caffeine thing. But you know it was great. You're you were able to find something to replace it with one that you enjoy to that. You're getting some benefits from so like with like with the coconut creamer, you're getting your Mct. Which is your medium. Change high, Glyceride. So this is like what you said, good for brain health. And then you're baby being able to still continue that
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::Laura Mak Quist: morning time, and whether you're using that to kind of get centered and ready for your day, or if you're just using that to wake up whatever it is that gives you that moment still. And yet now you're fueling your body with goodness and something that's actually a good habit.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Yeah. And it it
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: it does come back to flavor and and making the decision that
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: does this really
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: taste good?
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Am I? Am I consuming this because it's bringing me pleasure.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: because really, let's face it, that's all coffee is about. It's not really a nutritional item for you. So if it's not contributing to giving you pleasure. Then it's okay to do something different.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: And you can do that with all kinds of food, like I don't.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: I don't particularly like chicken anymore.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: I I don't. And I'm really getting to the point where I don't like meat too much anymore. I don't know if the flavor has changed, or my own palate has changed. But I it doesn't.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Doesn't taste good to me like it used to taste good to me.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Great.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: But I thought.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Many other vegetable proteins. Now that you could start to incorporate between your soy or tofu, and you know, and then, of course, you can go into your beans and legumes and your dark green, leafy vegetables. There's there's a lot of different options, and not to say that you have to be full on Vegan, but what I like to call it is
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::Laura Mak Quist: plant forward, or your might have just a little bit of a meat protein occasionally, or maybe you'll have some fresh salmon wild caught salmon, or some halibut, you know, or if you just save more with that protein base, that of plants, then you know you. You've got a lot more goodness that you're you're fueling your body with, and you're
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::Laura Mak Quist: choosing more consciously what you are putting into your body. So then you're getting more of a benefit with you with
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::Laura Mak Quist: in as you intake it into your body.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: I think that's really true, and the more you get away from processed foods, I think the more aware you are of
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: the quality of the food that you are consuming, and the flavor that it's bringing
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: to your palette
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: as you're consuming it. And you just
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: you can be picky.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Yeah. Oh, and it's totally fine, I mean, you know, even going into restaurants. Now we will look it up a little bit more. But even a simple thing is cutting out Canola oil. But I will tell you how hard that is, and but something that we're really trying to do as as a family, and, you know, minimizing that cause
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::Laura Mak Quist: 100% out to like. Take everything with me all the time but but being able to cut that down to like a very bare minimum and getting more fresh produce farmers, markets. There's a lot more options of getting fresh produce sent to you.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Getting them from the store. Seasonal foods. So getting those fresh foods that are more nutrient, dense to fuel. Your body makes such a big difference. Energy, wise
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::Laura Mak Quist: attitude, mental health, wise it really it compounds, and making a difference.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Yeah, it does. And in the long run it's a lot less expensive
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: because you don't need as much of it.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Yeah, handful of nuts is like really filling. Yeah, a bag is kind of pricey, but it's not any more pricey than buying a
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: hamburger at a fast food restaurant
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: anymore.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Yeah, and yeah.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: So much better for you.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Absolutely and well, you can think of it now like you're investing in your health right now versus having to pay for it later on.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: So I think.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Working now, you know, and between our our nutrition and our movement, and
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::Laura Mak Quist: how our bodies are moving and building strength and working on our heart. And then we also have our mental health right? And so, making sure that we're taking care of that, because also what we fuel our bodies with can also
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::Laura Mak Quist: help with brain fog or brain clarity. So, knowing what you're putting into your body, and the in the most purest form, without toxins or without pesticides, or in its most pure form, in the soonest, from farm to your table, is going to be your best bet, and you know you might not have that all the time. But if you can choose those options more often.
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::Laura Mak Quist: then that is going to give you that compound effect as well.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Absolutely. And then you you're touching on mental health again, and it all starts in your head. Everything starts
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: how you think about what you're doing, whether it's exercise or what you're eating.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: or how you're feeling and getting enough sleep.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Yeah.
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::Laura Mak Quist: But yeah, we could go into those top. 5. Sleep would be in that top. 5 category that you can't sacrifice. And it seems to be there was this huge, busy trend. Oh, I'm so busy, and I'm doing this and that, and and that it was almost like a warrior badge. Oh, I don't sleep, or I only sleep a few hours a night. And, boy, I'd be like, oh, I'm sorry about that. That doesn't sound good.
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::Laura Mak Quist: How can we fix that? Because in the long run it might work for a day or 2. But in the long run not only will it cause, you. You know, brain fog. It can also cause disruption in your hormones, disruption in your gut health, and which also go into the bigger problem. So
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::Laura Mak Quist: yeah, sacrificing on sleep is not ideal, just like you're not gonna
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::Laura Mak Quist: sacrifice on having more stress in your life. If you can downsize that, if you can decrease your stress and look for ways like, what can I do that will help when I'm having that moment. What can I do that helps bring me back into that piece, whether it's the deep breathing, whether it's getting outside back in nature, whether it's just having some quiet time
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::Laura Mak Quist: could be journaling, writing down your thoughts and letting them go, or writing down some thoughts as you re replace of like, what would you like to happen instead of what's going on right now, how can you focus using your focus on where you want to go? So there's a famous Tony Robbins quote that I write like to use, which is where your energy flow, where your focus goes, your energy flows. And if you're going down this kind of negative path, then that's
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::Laura Mak Quist: gonna be where you're going instead of saying, I can work on this, and you know I don't have the exact plan. I don't have the steps. How? But this is where I want to go. And then you start becoming more aware of. Okay, well.
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::Laura Mak Quist: I know I can do this arm workout for 10 min today. And then I know. After lunch I get to go get a workout in outside for 10 min, because I know I don't have a meeting until after that, and at night time. And then, you know, home with kids playing dance party, you know. So so there's different options that you can actually create into your lifestyle.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Yeah, and it doesn't have to be difficult. None of this
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: has to be like so revolutionary that you know you're you're turning your whole life upside down. So I know that you work with people kind of one on one, but you also have
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: a community that people can be part of which I think is
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: like it. Communities are so amazing. They just help in so many ways.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Sure do. Yeah. So we have. It's called the Yoga fitlife.com. And so when I say it's our Yoga and Strength Training studio. So we have different classes that you can just do along with me right at home. And so they're anywhere from 10 to 15 min to. I have some on the longer end, which is like a 45, or 15 min class, and then I have some strength training classes that could be
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::Laura Mak Quist: body resistance some dumbbells. But again, same thing. You can do it all at your own time. In your own space. You don't have to worry about dealing with traffic or travel, or getting to a gym that you don't want to go to. So it's nice. You can just do it in the
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::Laura Mak Quist: space of your own home, having a yoga mat and a couple of dumbbells, and there's a lot of also body resistance classes in there. So I have really tried to cater it. So it gives people access to what
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::Laura Mak Quist: works for their lifestyle on a particular day, or during that particular chapter of their life.
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::Laura Mak Quist: And then, like we mentioned before. I also include a weekly meal plan. So that way you can start adding new things into your meal repertoire, so we don't get stuck. So we don't get kind of stagnant with food. And then we're adding some meditations coming up in September. So yeah.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: So.
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::Laura Mak Quist: That that and then the the other category is recovery. So we do a lot of foam rolling in there. So gosh! I have sore shoulders or my upper back. And so I have some classes like, how can you open up through the upper back, or getting the lower back stretched out, you know, side of the legs, the It band. So there's different stretches that are listed in there that you can follow along and and do with me.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: That is amazing.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: This has been so insightful. I really appreciate your your taking the time to come and chat with us. What's the one thing that you hope the audience takes away from the conversation we've had today.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Well, I would like everyone to take away the fact that
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::Laura Mak Quist: that you, too, can be a wisely fierce woman, which is a woman who is in tune with her body and her mind, and is able to continually renew, recharge and reshape her habits. So and actually, if it's okay, I would love to finish up with. Just one paragraph from this is a book that I was part of become empowered, and this chapter that I wrote about was about resilience.
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::Laura Mak Quist: And so, and it just kind of talks about my resilience journey, and I won't go into it right now, but you can have the idea of it. It was a graceful dance and attunement to my body's whispers, a tribute to its knees and a celebration of its progress.
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::Laura Mak Quist: I didn't combat my health issues, but I embraced them with love, understanding, and a touch of playful curiosity.
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::Laura Mak Quist: The journey stands as a testament to the power of exploring unconventional paths, becoming advocates for our well-being and embracing diverse approaches to healing.
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::Laura Mak Quist: I just wanted.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: So beautiful.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Thank you, and I just wanted to to share that with everyone you can. You can pick that up on Amazon and please come visit me at the yogafitlife.com, and and I can give your viewers a 2 week free trial code that they can use.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: That would be awesome, and we will put all of that in the show notes, and we will. What is the name of that book that you co-author.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Called become empowered.
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::Laura Mak Quist: So there's 12 of us that contributed to this book. And there's so many wonderful, inspiring, motivational empowering stories that all 12 of us have shared. And it was just. It was a really wonderful experience. And our we're very proud of it. The book actually hit number one on Amazon. Hot new sellers release women's biography, motivational and kindle downloads. So we had quite a few number ones, and we're so so thrilled about that.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: I'll put the link for that in the show notes as well, so people can find it on Amazon and
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: beat your chapter
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: and everybody else's.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Everyone.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Special.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Thank you. And here and I can remind you this, my chapter is chapter 4, and just like the Olympics, they come around every 4 years, so you can remember chapter 4, and I was a gymnast so
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::Laura Mak Quist: like the Olympics every 4 years.
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::Jill Hart-The Coach's Alchemist & Host of the You World Order Showcase Podcast: Alright. Thank you so much for joining me, Laura Mac.
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::Laura Mak Quist: Thank you so much for having me.
