Michele Cuffe's powerful insights on extending not just lifespan but healthspan will transform how you think about aging. Drawing from evolutionary biology and modern research, she reveals why Europeans can indulge in bread and wine without weight gain while Americans struggle despite "healthy" habits - it's not just what we eat, but how we live.
Stress represents the silent epidemic undermining American health, with most of us trapped in a chronic stress response for eight hours daily when it was designed to last mere seconds. Michele shares accessible techniques to break this cycle through simple daily practices requiring just 20 minutes. The conversation tackles sleep quality with alarming statistics - insufficient sleep increases accident risk by 70% and cancer risk by 69% while potentially shortening lifespan by nearly five years.
When it comes to nutrition, Michele cuts through fad diet confusion with refreshing clarity: "We were given two categories on this planet - plants and animals." Her practical grocery shopping guidance emphasizes perimeter shopping for organic vegetables and high-quality proteins while explaining why some seemingly healthy options like farm-raised salmon should be avoided entirely. For women over 50, she emphasizes the critical importance of strength training over endless cardio for hormonal balance and longevity.
Most movingly, Michele shares her personal journey from stay-at-home mom to fitness instructor to author, proving it's never too late to discover new passions and silence the inner critic. Whether you're just beginning your health journey or looking to optimize your wellness practices, this conversation delivers actionable wisdom for creating a vibrant, energetic life that could extend to 100 years and beyond. Don't miss Michele's practical tips for approaching fitness without intimidation - your future self will thank you.
Connect with Michele and purchase her book here:
Ready to FEARLESSLY FACE all the F WORDS – be inspired and encouraged?
Get a copy of Amy’s Best selling book: CANNONBALL! FEARLESSLY Facing Midlife and Beyond here
Fearlessly Facing Fifty and Beyond has over 200 episodes with inspiration and stories to age fearlessly and connect confidently to others thriving at midlife and beyond.
Make sure to share with friends and family and would love if you could leave a review. There are so many shows out there floating around and if you are finding value in the Fearlessly Facing Fifty podcast share it with the world – a review means so much.
And don’t forget to follow along on all the socials:
http://instagram.com/theamy.schmidt
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, fearless friends , it's Amy Schmidt and welcome
to another episode of theFearlessly Facing 50 and Beyond
podcast.
And you know we're in thisreally cool series called the F
Word series.
So we're fearlessly facingthose F words like our future,
our families and our fitness.
And today's guest yeah, theygot it all going on.
So a great guest with me todayMichelle Cuff.
(00:23):
Now I have not met her inperson, but a lot of my friends
have talked about her and heramazing just reframing of aging.
So we're going to talk to theauthor, michelle Cuff, about
health revival, how to be happy,healthy, human and live to 100.
So stay tuned for anotherepisode of Fearlessly Facing 50.
(00:44):
Well, you know what I amexcited about this conversation
and you know I use excited allthe time and I do kind of live
my life through this lens ofexcitement because I love
learning about things.
So, today's guest, michelleKupf.
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Thank you so much, amy, for having me, and I love
that you always seem excited.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
It's like my word, I don't know.
I've got grown kids and they'realways like mom, you're like
always excited.
I'm like, yeah, because everyday is such a blessing and every
day it's like you can learnsomething new, you can do
something really great.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
And we've raised our kids, so we're excited.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Amen, we have raised our kids, so we're excited.
Amen, we have raised our kids.
Michelle, you are not only amother of three granddaughters,
but you're also a grandma or aglamour.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
I think I should call you.
I have three grandchildren, soI'm just, oh my gosh, they're
the loves of my life.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Yeah, isn't that?
I mean, I just look at that andI'm like, wow, I'm going to be
there someday and that's prettycool.
Yes, it is.
So I talked about your book alittle bit in the intro and I
got to read it.
So thank you for sending me oneHealth Revival how to Be Happy,
healthy, Human and Live to 100.
You know, I think, goingforward with all of this, we
(02:02):
lived in Europe for a long time,so I feel like I was healthier
in Europe because our diet wasdifferent and, michelle, I got
to be honest with you I atebread, I drank wine, I did all
the European stuff you do whenyou live there, but then you
move back and we are sounhealthy right now.
Our country is terrible.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
We are and I've been to Italy and I was there for
almost two weeks and I agreewith you 100%.
I have a lot of gut issues anddairy issues and wheat issues.
I did not have that there.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Isn't that crazy.
You know, we were just theretoo, visiting one of our kids is
over there in London right nowand we were eating like rock
stars, and you know it'svacation, so we're having fun
and we're having wine.
And we both got home and Ithink we were Tim and I were
both a little hesitant to get onthe scale.
And we got on the scale andwe're like okay, like we didn't
gain any weight.
This is crazy.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
And there's a lot of walking that goes on there too,
I think so their fitness iswhich.
This is a great little intro,because I want people to know
who they really are, especiallywomen.
We're talking about women, butmen and women, we are human
animals, okay, and we weredesigned to do certain things
(03:13):
and to live outside.
So our DNA still thinks we'reoutside right now.
It has not adapted to the factthat we're now inside all day,
okay, so in Italy they'rewalking more.
Our bodies were meant to move alot, and you can see where that
has gone in this day and age.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Yep, exactly, that's so true.
So today we're going to betalking to Michelle about
fearlessly facing not onlyfitness but food and also our
faith and just kind of thiswhole life where we are right
now, these efforts that we face.
Let's talk about stress,because that's one of the big.
You know, you kind of breakyour book down in different
chapters and different facets ofour life and we talk about
(03:54):
stress management.
Walk me through that.
How can we get better atreducing some of the stress in
our lives?
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Yes, and stress.
If you look it up you'll getanywhere from 70 to 90% of every
doctor visit right now in theUS is traced back to stress.
So that is how prevalent stressis, and stress was only meant
to be turned on for seconds orminutes.
The average American sits instress right now for eight hours
a day.
(04:21):
So think about that.
It's supposed to be a quickresponse, to like if someone
almost hits you or if a dogcomes running at you but then it
goes away.
But now we're sitting in thatstress response for eight hours
a day, and that is why stress isthe pillar, or where it all
starts.
Is that, with our crazy livesand everything and fitness is
(04:45):
good, because that's one greatway to manage stress.
You know we've got to find away to manage this or our health
is just going to go off thewayside.
When was the last time youstress?
Ate broccoli, amy.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
I mean Stress, ate broccoli.
Hmm, yeah, that was.
I don't know if I've ever donethat, Michelle.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yeah, we don't stress eat broccoli.
We stress eat with ice creamand cookies and all that kind of
stuff.
So you can see where stressgoes.
I think one of the big thingsthat helps me with stress is
meditation, and for me that'sactually faith, and I pray.
So I'll go on a walk and prayor I'll just sit in the quiet
and talk to God.
(05:25):
But also meditation can beanything that you lose track of
time, right.
So anything it could be golfing, it could be fishing, it could
be on a spin bike at the gym andyou lose track of time, right.
So it's just important to getabout 20 minutes of that a day
to where you lose track of timeand you feel some sort of peace.
(05:46):
So that's very important.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
I love that you said that within actual minutes.
There, Michelle, it's 20minutes of time and when we look
at our day, we all have 24hours.
Yesterday I talked about thefact that, because we've been
fearlessly facing friendshipslately, a lot on this show and a
lot of things I've been doing,and you know that was eight
minutes a day.
Like, do you have eight minutes?
(06:11):
Eight minutes is nothing I mean,and 20 minutes for our
self-care, showing up forourselves and treating ourselves
as a guest of honor.
We should be able to carve out20 minutes.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
We should.
And it doesn't have to be 20altogether, it can be 10 in the
morning, 10 at night.
And people ask me what's thebest time of day to meditate?
Well, you know what's the doyou want to.
You know, maybe you're cominghome from work and you want to
show up peaceful for your family.
Do it right, sit in thedriveway before you come in the
house and you know, justwhatever the best time for you
is.
A lot of times people will findit first thing in the morning,
(06:42):
in their quiet time.
Yeah, but just, it's anon-negotiable.
It's a non-negotiable.
I love that it is so foreverybody listening and watching
right now.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Michelle's first challenge to us is 20 minutes
and, like she said, doesn't haveto be 20 minutes all at once.
But let's challenge ourselvesand let's reach back out.
You can reach me I'll put it inthe notes here, in the episode
notes, and you can reach out toMichelle but we're going to find
out how many of you are able tocreate 20 minutes of space in
your life in the next six weeks.
That's the first challenge andwe should be able to create 20
(07:12):
minutes for us.
So I love that.
All right, let's move on tosleep, and I talked to Michelle
a little bit before we gotstarted today with these
statistics 70% more accidentprone if you don't get a good
night's sleep, 69% higher riskfor cancer and you're reducing
(07:34):
your lifespan by 4.7 years.
Those are statistics from adoctor that specializes in sleep
.
But I mean, those statisticsare shocking.
And you said you know your momwasn't a good sleeper.
My mom was a terrible sleeper.
I can remember her, michelle,getting up in the middle of the
night when I was in high school,and I could hear her tiptoeing
around Like I remember hergetting up, but then again that
(07:55):
probably translates to mebecause I'm a terrible sleeper,
right.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
And sleep.
You know we've got to find waysto sleep better and you know,
for our women here listeningthat are around 50 or beyond 50,
hormones can play a big part inthat right, but it's along with
fitness.
So activity.
So we need to be sleeping sevento nine hours every single
night and the seven to nine hourwindow can depend on your
(08:20):
activity level that day and yourvitamin D levels.
We need sunshine, becausesunshine is serotonin that then
turns into melatonin.
So there's so many easy ways tojust kind of boost those things
to help us sleep better.
But of course, back to stress.
If we're stressed out and we'vegot a million things going
through our head, we don't sleepwell.
(08:42):
So, yes, we've got to, really,especially as women.
Women need a little more sleepthan men.
That is a known fact.
Maybe it's because we talk somuch I don't know what goes on
with this, but sleep is alsoanother non-negotiable and, like
you said, the studies showanything less than seven hours
sleep a night starts to go intoincreasing or decreasing I'm
(09:05):
sorry your lifespan and yourhealth span.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
Wow I mean sleep.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Yeah, don't see it as , oh, I need sleep.
What's wrong with me If yousleep nine hours?
I say good for you.
I think that that is amazing.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Yeah, yeah, do you have a routine, a sleep routine?
Because I know that's soimportant, I do, and listen.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
My kids are grown now so I don't have those kinds of
stress.
When I was younger it was tough, but one of the things that I
do that works for me is so abouta couple of hours.
I do eat two hours beforebedtime.
That's important because youwant to digest your food.
I'd make sure all the lightsare kind of off in the house and
(09:45):
sometimes I'll take a tub bathwith warm water with magnesium,
because magnesium is your sleepmineral and putting the
magnesium salt in your bath itgoes right into your bloodstream
.
It will make you sleepy.
So that really seems to workfor me.
And going from that hot tub tothen your nice cold bed helps
and get your house as cold aspossible.
(10:07):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
I hope my husband's listening to that.
That will help him sleep.
That is Tim Schmidt right now.
You should be listening,because I always tell him that I
always have a fan on.
I always sleep with the windowopen Well, not so much in
Florida, but I mean, you know, Ialways want it cooler and he's
always complaining about that,but that's really important,
those.
I always want it cooler andhe's always complaining about
that, but that's reallyimportant.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Those are some great tips right there, and I think
yes, and cold and dark is how weevolved outside.
When it got dark outside, wewent to bed because the bears
came out, okay, and this soundsfunny, but it's true we didn't
stay up, we got into our safespace, went to bed and then, as
soon as the sun came up, we gotup because we had things to do,
right, right.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
So evolution kind of plays a part in that but cold
and dark really helps your sleepas well.
Love that I also think.
I always say we wear the badgeof busyness like a badge of
honor, which we shouldn't do.
And you just said don't wearthe badge of sleep deprivation
as a badge of courage.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
We shouldn't do that, no, no and that whole thing.
And I'm Cuban and I'm of Cubandescent, so I was raised like
that, like the more you do, thebetter, the more you do the
better.
And I have had to rewire mybrain now from that.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
So good challenge here around sleep is we need
seven to nine hours of sleep aday.
So that's our second challengereduce our stress and increase
our sleep, which is major.
All right, let's talk hydration.
I got to be honest with you.
Hydration is huge and I getthat.
But I referenced the fact thatwe were just in Europe and we
had two of our kids with us andmy daughter, who has one of
(11:41):
those Stanley cups.
She's like mom, nobody's likewalking around with a Stanley
cup, nobody's got them sittingon the table right in front of
you.
So are we like crazy with thishydration thing?
How important is it?
How much should we have a dayand how much is too much?
Speaker 2 (11:58):
We're not crazy.
In fact, americans don't drinkenough water.
What is the only thing we weregiven on this planet by God or
nature, whatever you believe in,is water.
Our bodies are 70% water, theearth is 70% water.
I see a correlation and we'rehydrated.
(12:19):
And so, by pounds, it's likemen and women, we have a thing.
But we've come to or longevityexperts have come to the
conclusion that a good numberfor every human is 100 ounces of
water a day.
The problem in America and inthe country is that we now have
all these other drinks.
You know, we're drinking coffee, we're drinking energy drinks,
(12:41):
we're drinking wine and allthese things.
Those are all dehydrating,right, and then we skip the
water.
So if we are walking aroundchronically dehydrated, it will
show up as you're tired, you'repuffy and swollen, your joints
ache.
So a lot of times people willsay, oh, my knees are, you're
just dehydrated and we hold onto weight when we're not
(13:03):
drinking water.
So I've had clients of minejust from doing the hundred
ounce water challenge for 30days, they've lost four and five
pounds.
Wow, which sounds crazy.
But you're flushing out toxinsand all these things and, yes,
you will pee.
But we got to get over that atfirst.
But water is important.
I mean you could drink too muchwater, but I don't think that
(13:24):
most people have that problem,right?
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Exactly so 100 ounces should be a good goal for
everybody.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Yes, so that's three one liter bottles.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Okay, well, that should be something very
attainable for everybody.
You know, it was funny becauseat my class, a Pilates class I
go to, there was a gentleman, acouple of reformers, over for me
the other day and I was askingabout his trip and he said, amy,
you will not believe this.
And I said what?
And he goes.
You know how healthy I am?
I said, yeah, I definitely knowhow healthy you are.
(13:52):
He is just a picture of health.
He was on a cruise and heforgot to drink water.
He said I was having so muchfun and doing so many things and
probably drinking a little morethan I should have alcohol and
fun stuff that he ended up.
He said I fainted.
And I fainted because I wasdehydrated.
(14:13):
And he said I can't believe itI didn't have enough water.
And here's somebody that isyounger than me and he's really
fit.
He's really fit Like you wouldthink he wouldn't forget about
that.
So it's a simple thing that weneed to remind ourselves to have
water.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Right, and just you know, add a little extra water
around your coffee, around youknow a nice martini, if that's
what you're going to have, havea water before and after.
So just make sure you're.
I'm not saying don't drink theother stuff, but just don't
count it towards your 100 ounces.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Well, what do you think about these
electrolyte-type things?
You know these minerals you canget for your water, these
packets of stuff you put in yourwater.
On a side note, my husband ison medication for heart and one
of the medications has a sideeffect of dehydration.
Now he needs to put someelectrolytes in his water.
(15:03):
He knows because of the way hisheart is pumping that.
He knows when he's had too muchwater.
He self-regulates, but he doeshave to put some of those
electrolytes in.
Now are those things we shouldbe doing?
I mean, should we be going toWhole Foods or Trader Joe's or
Kroger or wherever you go inthis country, and get stuff?
Speaker 2 (15:22):
I'm not saying don't do it, but I would just say,
like you know, I'll see peopledrinking Gatorades and stuff and
I'm thinking, well, okay,that's meant for, like, football
athletes that are working outin 100-degree weather.
Yes, some of that stuff has alot of sodium, which sodium
isn't bad for you, but some ofit will have added sugars.
There's nothing wrong with thatstuff, but just be careful and
(15:43):
read the labels and just makesure that you're not just
drinking like sugar.
You know Exactly, but most ofus don't need that stuff, and
some of it is just to flavoryour water, and I get that.
But again, if there's things inthere that are dehydrating you,
it could be doing the opposite.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Okay, interesting.
So just a little break here.
Health revival how to be ahappy, healthy human and live to
100.
I have Michelle Cuff with metoday and we've gone through
three things already.
We've gone through stress howto reduce stress, easy things to
do, hydration and we've gonethrough sleep.
Let's talk about nutrition.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
Okay, yeah, that's the food, another F word.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Fearlessly facing food.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Let's be honest, I mean oh and this subject is so
difficult and it's just my gosh,we could spend hours on this.
Yeah, the problem is there'stoo much information these days
and everybody's on some fad diet.
Everybody's doing keto orcarnivore or vegan, you know,
and everybody is like what theheck do I do?
(16:43):
So?
In my book, I break down whatwe were given on this planet.
We were given two categoriesonly, and those were plants and
animals.
Okay, so my rule is, as humananimals, we suck at counting
macros.
We suck at counting calories.
We weren't meant to do that.
We're the only animal speciesthat sits around and weighs our
(17:04):
food and all that stuff.
You're going to get sick ofthat.
You're not going to last doingthat.
So what you do is, if it didn'tcome from out there, don't eat
it, because God puts stops inall of our food.
Okay, and what I mean by thatis you can't eat too much steak
before you're full.
You can't eat pounds ofbroccoli You'll be in the
(17:25):
bathroom.
You can't eat too muchasparagus or those kinds of
things.
So there's already stops in ourfood.
We just have to try to make gooddecisions with the plants and
animals, and in my book I'velisted what those are.
And, of course we're human, Ofcourse we should have fun, Of
course you know we should havetimes where we celebrate and
(17:47):
have cake, but let's make thatkind of like the exception over
here and we stick to the otherstuff like 80% of the time and
then just make sure you'recareful what you're cooking with
because that's another bigissue is the seed oils and and
you know like abroad they don'thave that stuff, and that's one
big reason why we're all so sickright now is because they're
cooking everything in seed oilsRight, and what I mean is like
(18:10):
corn oil, canola oil, vegetableoil, we need avocado oil, we
need coconut oil and olive oil.
Those are the three thingswe're going to use and that will
make a big difference in yourhealth.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Yeah, and those are simple.
I love in the middle of yourbook, like between pages about,
I don't know, 94, 95, all ofthese.
I, of course, went to page 95because I'm going to make this
one.
It's the Brain BoostingBlueberry Milkshake.
This sounds amazing.
It's got protein in it.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
You know you've got your almond or peanut butter,
you've got your almond milk oroat milk, vanilla protein powder
.
This is very simple, yeah.
And so you know I put 30 of myfavorite recipes in there as a
bonus of you know how I cook, orjust some good stuff.
And you know shakes are an easyway to get protein in, which is
important, and they're quickand easy.
So I put some of those in there.
And yeah, and blueberries are asuperfood.
I mean, of all the fruit, I'dsay blueberries is the king, so
(19:09):
it's just a really good, healthyshake.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
All right, I'm going to ask you something because I
know that listeners and viewersright now there's a lot of us
out there, myself included, thatgets intimidated and questions
their whole you know they'relike all right, I'm eating
healthy.
This is my calendar New monthApril's.
In another week, new month.
I'm going to eat healthy.
I'm going to do all this andthen something happens and they
go off the rails.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
You know what.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Nobody's perfect.
You're not perfect.
Nobody's perfect, we're alltrying our best, so let's walk
through.
If there's somebody listeningthat's going to start their
health journey, they're going topick up your book and they're
going to say I'm going to startBefore they even get the book.
What can they do at the grocerystore today when they go to get
two healthy meals?
What should they be looking for?
Speaker 2 (19:54):
I would say, of course, we hear this all the
time.
Stick to the perimeter.
Oh, I've heard that.
Okay, so there's truth to that.
Okay, I would focus on organicvegetables and grass-fed beef
and wild-caught fish.
So those are the things that Iwould focus on, and of course,
the fruits are in the producearea too, but I would just.
(20:16):
You know.
So, when you go to a restaurantand you're ordering food, what
is the most expensive thing onthe menu?
Right, you're going to have asteak, you're going to have
wild-caught salmon's the best.
So some kind of fish and thenvegetables.
So that's what I would suggestthat people do, and that's how I
eat most of the time.
Perfect Is from those twogroups.
And that's my plate.
(20:36):
I've got, you know, a piece ofsteak here and then, like last
night, I had a bunch of broccoliand Brussels sprouts that
filled my plate and I was fulland I felt so good after I was
done.
I never had a sugar spike oranything.
Stay away from sugar.
That's the problem.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Oh I know, oh, it's my nemesis, I'm telling you.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
But it's so good, fearlessly facing sugar.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Yeah, not an F but an S.
I know.
I think a part of that is how Iwas raised.
I mean, all five of us.
There were five of us in ourfamily and I think we all have a
sweet tooth because my momserved us dessert every night.
We were a dessert family, fromlemon rind pie to you.
Remember those huge, big gallonthings of ice cream with the
(21:18):
metal.
It like had a metal handle.
I mean we went through that.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
I don't know how I'm alive right now.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
Me too.
Me too, we went through thatlike crazy.
My dad would slice a banana.
He'd open up that jar ofHershey's chocolate sauce you
know you could hear the metalcoming off of it and pour it on.
That's how we ate every night,I mean we, we.
So sugar for me is a is a bigdeal.
So I'm with you.
Anybody that's listening outthere that has a challenge with
that.
But, michelle, those are good,really good tips, because we can
go to the perimeter, we canwalk around.
(21:45):
Let's talk about fish for aminute, because this does
confuse me.
And then I want to go to thefitness aspect.
But salmon Salmon is confusingto me.
Like I'll go to Whole Foods andit's wild, something, something
, and it's $12.99, or this one's$24.99 a pound, or this one's
on special for $7.99.
Do you buy the cheapest?
Do you only buy wild?
Let's walk through that.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
No, the farm-raised salmon is just terrible.
Ah, good to know, andfarm-raised salmon isn't even
orange.
They put like dyes in there toturn it orange Wild-caught.
If you can't get wild-caught Ijust wouldn't eat it because the
other ones you'll get parasitesand things like that.
I mean you want, especiallywith salmon.
(22:26):
When you go to a restaurant,almost all of it is farm-raised
and they feed those fish grossthings.
You'll have to look that up.
Wow, that is good to know.
If it's cheap at the store youcan pretty much bet it's
farm-raised.
Okay, and I hate to say this,but go by price.
You'll see the bright orangepackaging.
You'll know that that's thewild-caught and it's going to
(22:48):
cost more but I think we'reworth it.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
I'm just everything we put in our bodies is so
important.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Thank you for that.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
Don't be cheap on yourself.
Exactly, that was a littlesideline, a little tip for Amy,
(23:23):
no-transcript, trying to followmy husband into a hotel gym
because he was traveling threeor four nights a week and I went
with him on a trip and sureenough he's going in the gym and
the minute I'd walk in thereI'd be like, oh man, I don't
even know how to turn thetreadmill on.
(23:44):
And then to try and figure outyour headphones and then try to
get a TV station on and then I'mlike, oh screw it, I don't even
know and I walk out because Iget intimidated.
So I think a lot of people.
So walk us through how we canovercome that fear.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
I know and this is, I'm in the gym almost every day
and I see this, I see it playout every I'll see the guys come
in and they bring theirgirlfriends and you know they
look, the girls just look lost.
You know, I would say that ifyou are starting a health
journey at the gym, these bigbox gyms can be very
intimidating, but I promise youthat nobody cares, nobody there
(24:20):
is judging you.
In fact, I think most peopleare encouraging and again I
would say either hire someonelike a trainer or join those
classes.
I taught fitness classes forover 20 years and I loved it and
it always seemed to help.
People find you, make friendsthere and there's always people
(24:41):
in there that are novices likeyou are.
But you've just got to get yourhead wrapped around the fact
that being physically fit is soimportant for our overall life
and for longevity and I hate tojust sound like this, but you
got to get over it.
You've just got to.
If you have that attitude andyou're just going to quit
(25:02):
because you might feel a littleintimidated, you're only hurting
yourself, because I believepeople at the gym are willing to
help.
Like I'll see someonestruggling, like especially
women.
I'll go over there and say doyou mind if I just give you a
tip, you know, and I'll helpthem out, and they're so happy.
Right, you can also in my book Ikind of break down how to build
a home gym.
Right, you can also in my bookI kind of break down how to
(25:25):
build a home gym.
So if you're someone that justdoesn't want to go to the gym
yet you know there's so mucheasy stuff you can buy on Amazon
and then you've got your phonethat has YouTube and workout
videos and things like that Finda friend.
It's always good to find a gymbuddy, especially women who can
go together.
I've always had gym buddy totrain with my friends and it
always works.
So you just got to try to findways around that and get some
(25:50):
self-confidence Exactly andaccountability.
Partner around fitness andaround all of that is so
important, michelle, I want toask you when did your passion
and purpose really align?
Speaker 1 (26:00):
Because I think that's so important for people
listening to know, because itdoesn't have to happen that you
know there's no deadline on that.
Your passion and purpose all ofa sudden can intersect when
you're in your 60s and you'relike, have this aha moment of
this is what I want to do.
When did that happen for you?
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Yeah, so after my third daughter was born and I
quit working and I was astay-at-home mom, I joined the
gym just so, mainly so I couldget an hour break, because, you
know, the gyms will have thatdaycare center.
I don't know, but I was.
They had a sign-up sheet oneday and they were looking for
spinning instructors.
Now I think I'd only taken onespin class in my life and I
(26:40):
stood there and looked at thatpaper and I don't know.
I have faith, so I don't knowif it was the Holy Spirit
speaking to me, but I heardthat's what you should do and
I'm thinking even to myself.
But it just came.
I felt this calling right andthat started me on this journey
of fitness instructor and Ithink, well, to get me to the
(27:01):
point I'm at today, it has takenmany, you know, many different
aha moments in many years.
But I think sometimes we hearthat voice but we just turn it
off because we think I can't dothat right.
And I know that I come acrossto people as I'm so confident.
And you know you and I havebeen on the same show here in
(27:21):
Tampa.
You know I am scared every timeand I was scared for years every
time I would teach a class, youknow, and you're always going
to have the naysayers.
You're always going to havepeople that talk you out of it.
Even your own family will tryand talk you out of things.
I think you just have toconnect with that inner voice
and if something's pulling youand telling you to do something,
(27:42):
you've got to try it.
I was scared to write this book.
I didn't know if I could dosomething like that, and that
came later on, of course, and Iwish I could give you this
definite answer.
But I think that it's just.
There's this moment in timewhere you just something is
presented to you.
You think it seems likesomething you could do and
(28:02):
you're either going to say I'mgoing to do it or you're going
to say I can't do it, don'tlisten to that negative voice
Exactly and you know what thatinner critic is so loud.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
I say it so often it's so noisy, but that inner
cheerleader has just got toovertake it and it's got to be
loud and proud and do it.
And there's know there is no,there's no judgment, you know
there's no timeline.
It's not like, if you want towrite a book, great, but if you
just want to journal, and that'ssomething that's really
empowering to you do it, and Ithink that's where so many
people get stuck.
(28:33):
They don't.
They just think there's toomany judges, there's too many
people thinking that they can'tdo it, and you know, self-doubt
and all of those limitingbeliefs come in.
So I love that you know, we gotto be fearless.
That's what we have to do, andand I'm sure you say this with
your kids and grandkids toowhat's the worst case scenario,
right?
What's the worst case, right?
I?
Speaker 2 (28:51):
saw one copy in my book.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
All right.
Well, one person benefited fromit.
That's better than zero.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
You know, and trust me, I have failed at things many
times and I've cried aboutthings and I've been like gosh.
I just came across as stupidtoday I don't know what.
You know, we have to go throughthose things to grow, and I
think the great thing aboutbeing around 50 years old is we
do kind of tend to get like thisnot that I don't care attitude,
(29:16):
but a little bit of confidencecomes with the years.
So, you know, I would say ageis not a factor in anything
either.
You know, especially for women,keep trying.
If there's something that'sbeen nagging at you for years,
do it.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
Try it.
I love it, you know, and I wantto give a little shout out to
Maggie Rodriguez and GailGallardo, because they are just
such incredible women and youknow.
Maggie gets up at 5.30 in themorning and exercises every day
before she's on, and I knowGail's fitness journey is so
amazing.
And you find those people inyour life.
I always call them unexpectedtreasures.
(29:52):
Those are two women in my lifethat came in unexpectedly.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
Same with me.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
They add value in such a way.
That is incredible.
I know, and.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Gail has become my friend.
We go to church together andMaggie, we laugh because we're
both Cuban, so we always laughbecause she says she has to
really try not to talk with herhands.
And the same with me.
It's like I have to tie myhands behind my back because
this is me all the time.
I love it, but they are amazingwomen and I just love women at
this age too it's and you know,I listened to your friends
(30:26):
podcast and we may not have aton of friends, but we have, you
know, quality friends and wecan continue to make friends in
our older age Exactly, and Ithink that comes to a point in
this show today where we have torealize that when you admire
somebody, reach out to them, youknow, encourage them,
acknowledge them and, michelle,you certainly do that with
(30:47):
everything that you do.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
Before we leave today and we're certainly running out
of time, I highly recommendyour book.
You know, what I love about itis it's very no-nonsense, it's
really, it's an easy read, butat the end of the day, it's so
practical and it's things thatwe can incorporate right away,
so I love that.
Oh, thank you, michelle.
Before we leave today, I'mgoing to ask you that question
that I ask on every episode, andthat is Michelle, if you're
(31:13):
sitting on the couch and youlook over and there you are, at
30, what advice would you giveher?
Speaker 2 (31:22):
Oh, wow, 30.
I already had three kids.
I would say, gosh, just don'tbe so hard on yourself, you
don't have to figure everythingout right.
Then and there I would tell herto just it's okay to have bad
days, it's okay to have gooddays, it's okay to fail, but
(31:46):
just don't give up on yourdreams, and just you don't have
to have it all figured out.
I said 30 years old boy.
I just I would say maybe I wasso naive.
It's tough to talk to thatperson because I feel like I
can't connect to her anymorebecause she was so long ago for
me.
(32:06):
But I would just tell her Ididn't have faith back then.
I grew up Catholic.
I would say find some faith,believe in something more than
yourself, look at the bigpicture of just the beauty of
life.
Stop and just take some timefor yourself.
I think that's what I wouldtell her.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Treat yourself as a guest of honor, michelle.
I love that.
Yes, thank you so much forbeing on.
We could talk about so manymore things, but you gave us so
many great, tangible tips aroundmanaging our stress, sleep,
hydration, nutrition all ofthose things that are little
things.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
we can reframe in our everyday life and become our
inner cheerleader again andsilence that and I want to just
touch real quick before we leaveback to the fitness For women,
our age, we really need to focuson weight training more than
just endless cardio.
So we want to start to doweights because our hormones are
depleted and that's going tobuild our hormones back up.
(33:03):
So don't be afraid to hit theweights and don't be afraid to
lift heavy.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
I love that, michelle .
I got to have you back, you gotto come in studio and we got to
do a little something, becausewe didn't even get into
menopause.
But Michelle Koff, thank you somuch for being my guest today
and look forward to seeing you.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Thank you, Amy.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
All right, okay, thank you so much.
Thanks so much for listeningtoday.
We know how valuable your timeis and that's why we keep it
short and sweet.
Don't forget to follow us onall the socials, and you can
check out all the links andresources in the show notes.
Until next time, go forth andbe awesome.
Hey, fearless friends , it's Amy Schmidt and welcome
to another episode of theFearlessly Facing 50 and Beyond
podcast.
And you know we're in thisreally cool series called the F
Word series.
So we're fearlessly facingthose F words like our future,
our families and our fitness.
And today's guest yeah, theygot it all going on.
So a great guest with me todayMichelle Cuff.
(00:23):
Now I have not met her inperson, but a lot of my friends
have talked about her and heramazing just reframing of aging.
So we're going to talk to theauthor, michelle Cuff, about
health revival, how to be happy,healthy, human and live to 100.
So stay tuned for anotherepisode of Fearlessly Facing 50.
(00:44):
Well, you know what I amexcited about this conversation
and you know I use excited allthe time and I do kind of live
my life through this lens ofexcitement because I love
learning about things.
So, today's guest, michelleKupf.
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Thank you so much, amy, for having me, and I love
that you always seem excited.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
It's like my word, I don't know.
I've got grown kids and they'realways like mom, you're like
always excited.
I'm like, yeah, because everyday is such a blessing and every
day it's like you can learnsomething new, you can do
something really great.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
And we've raised our kids, so we're excited.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Amen, we have raised our kids, so we're excited.
Amen, we have raised our kids.
Michelle, you are not only amother of three granddaughters,
but you're also a grandma or aglamour.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
I think I should call you.
I have three grandchildren, soI'm just, oh my gosh, they're
the loves of my life.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Yeah, isn't that?
I mean, I just look at that andI'm like, wow, I'm going to be
there someday and that's prettycool.
Yes, it is.
So I talked about your book alittle bit in the intro and I
got to read it.
So thank you for sending me oneHealth Revival how to Be Happy,
healthy, Human and Live to 100.
You know, I think, goingforward with all of this, we
(02:02):
lived in Europe for a long time,so I feel like I was healthier
in Europe because our diet wasdifferent and, michelle, I got
to be honest with you I atebread, I drank wine, I did all
the European stuff you do whenyou live there, but then you
move back and we are sounhealthy right now.
Our country is terrible.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
We are and I've been to Italy and I was there for
almost two weeks and I agreewith you 100%.
I have a lot of gut issues anddairy issues and wheat issues.
I did not have that there.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Isn't that crazy.
You know, we were just theretoo, visiting one of our kids is
over there in London right nowand we were eating like rock
stars, and you know it'svacation, so we're having fun
and we're having wine.
And we both got home and Ithink we were Tim and I were
both a little hesitant to get onthe scale.
And we got on the scale andwe're like okay, like we didn't
gain any weight.
This is crazy.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
And there's a lot of walking that goes on there too,
I think so their fitness iswhich.
This is a great little intro,because I want people to know
who they really are, especiallywomen.
We're talking about women, butmen and women, we are human
animals, okay, and we weredesigned to do certain things
(03:13):
and to live outside.
So our DNA still thinks we'reoutside right now.
It has not adapted to the factthat we're now inside all day,
okay, so in Italy they'rewalking more.
Our bodies were meant to move alot, and you can see where that
has gone in this day and age.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Yep, exactly, that's so true.
So today we're going to betalking to Michelle about
fearlessly facing not onlyfitness but food and also our
faith and just kind of thiswhole life where we are right
now, these efforts that we face.
Let's talk about stress,because that's one of the big.
You know, you kind of breakyour book down in different
chapters and different facets ofour life and we talk about
(03:54):
stress management.
Walk me through that.
How can we get better atreducing some of the stress in
our lives?
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Yes, and stress.
If you look it up you'll getanywhere from 70 to 90% of every
doctor visit right now in theUS is traced back to stress.
So that is how prevalent stressis, and stress was only meant
to be turned on for seconds orminutes.
The average American sits instress right now for eight hours
a day.
(04:21):
So think about that.
It's supposed to be a quickresponse, to like if someone
almost hits you or if a dogcomes running at you but then it
goes away.
But now we're sitting in thatstress response for eight hours
a day, and that is why stress isthe pillar, or where it all
starts.
Is that, with our crazy livesand everything and fitness is
(04:45):
good, because that's one greatway to manage stress.
You know we've got to find away to manage this or our health
is just going to go off thewayside.
When was the last time youstress?
Ate broccoli, amy.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
I mean Stress, ate broccoli.
Hmm, yeah, that was.
I don't know if I've ever donethat, Michelle.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yeah, we don't stress eat broccoli.
We stress eat with ice creamand cookies and all that kind of
stuff.
So you can see where stressgoes.
I think one of the big thingsthat helps me with stress is
meditation, and for me that'sactually faith, and I pray.
So I'll go on a walk and prayor I'll just sit in the quiet
and talk to God.
(05:25):
But also meditation can beanything that you lose track of
time, right.
So anything it could be golfing, it could be fishing, it could
be on a spin bike at the gym andyou lose track of time, right.
So it's just important to getabout 20 minutes of that a day
to where you lose track of timeand you feel some sort of peace.
(05:46):
So that's very important.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
I love that you said that within actual minutes.
There, Michelle, it's 20minutes of time and when we look
at our day, we all have 24hours.
Yesterday I talked about thefact that, because we've been
fearlessly facing friendshipslately, a lot on this show and a
lot of things I've been doing,and you know that was eight
minutes a day.
Like, do you have eight minutes?
(06:11):
Eight minutes is nothing I mean,and 20 minutes for our
self-care, showing up forourselves and treating ourselves
as a guest of honor.
We should be able to carve out20 minutes.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
We should.
And it doesn't have to be 20altogether, it can be 10 in the
morning, 10 at night.
And people ask me what's thebest time of day to meditate?
Well, you know what's the doyou want to.
You know, maybe you're cominghome from work and you want to
show up peaceful for your family.
Do it right, sit in thedriveway before you come in the
house and you know, justwhatever the best time for you
is.
A lot of times people will findit first thing in the morning,
(06:42):
in their quiet time.
Yeah, but just, it's anon-negotiable.
It's a non-negotiable.
I love that it is so foreverybody listening and watching
right now.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Michelle's first challenge to us is 20 minutes
and, like she said, doesn't haveto be 20 minutes all at once.
But let's challenge ourselvesand let's reach back out.
You can reach me I'll put it inthe notes here, in the episode
notes, and you can reach out toMichelle but we're going to find
out how many of you are able tocreate 20 minutes of space in
your life in the next six weeks.
That's the first challenge andwe should be able to create 20
(07:12):
minutes for us.
So I love that.
All right, let's move on tosleep, and I talked to Michelle
a little bit before we gotstarted today with these
statistics 70% more accidentprone if you don't get a good
night's sleep, 69% higher riskfor cancer and you're reducing
(07:34):
your lifespan by 4.7 years.
Those are statistics from adoctor that specializes in sleep
.
But I mean, those statisticsare shocking.
And you said you know your momwasn't a good sleeper.
My mom was a terrible sleeper.
I can remember her, michelle,getting up in the middle of the
night when I was in high school,and I could hear her tiptoeing
around Like I remember hergetting up, but then again that
(07:55):
probably translates to mebecause I'm a terrible sleeper,
right.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
And sleep.
You know we've got to find waysto sleep better and you know,
for our women here listeningthat are around 50 or beyond 50,
hormones can play a big part inthat right, but it's along with
fitness.
So activity.
So we need to be sleeping sevento nine hours every single
night and the seven to nine hourwindow can depend on your
(08:20):
activity level that day and yourvitamin D levels.
We need sunshine, becausesunshine is serotonin that then
turns into melatonin.
So there's so many easy ways tojust kind of boost those things
to help us sleep better.
But of course, back to stress.
If we're stressed out and we'vegot a million things going
through our head, we don't sleepwell.
(08:42):
So, yes, we've got to, really,especially as women.
Women need a little more sleepthan men.
That is a known fact.
Maybe it's because we talk somuch I don't know what goes on
with this, but sleep is alsoanother non-negotiable and, like
you said, the studies showanything less than seven hours
sleep a night starts to go intoincreasing or decreasing I'm
(09:05):
sorry your lifespan and yourhealth span.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
Wow I mean sleep.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Yeah, don't see it as , oh, I need sleep.
What's wrong with me If yousleep nine hours?
I say good for you.
I think that that is amazing.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Yeah, yeah, do you have a routine, a sleep routine?
Because I know that's soimportant, I do, and listen.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
My kids are grown now so I don't have those kinds of
stress.
When I was younger it was tough, but one of the things that I
do that works for me is so abouta couple of hours.
I do eat two hours beforebedtime.
That's important because youwant to digest your food.
I'd make sure all the lightsare kind of off in the house and
(09:45):
sometimes I'll take a tub bathwith warm water with magnesium,
because magnesium is your sleepmineral and putting the
magnesium salt in your bath itgoes right into your bloodstream
.
It will make you sleepy.
So that really seems to workfor me.
And going from that hot tub tothen your nice cold bed helps
and get your house as cold aspossible.
(10:07):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
I hope my husband's listening to that.
That will help him sleep.
That is Tim Schmidt right now.
You should be listening,because I always tell him that I
always have a fan on.
I always sleep with the windowopen Well, not so much in
Florida, but I mean, you know, Ialways want it cooler and he's
always complaining about that,but that's really important,
those.
I always want it cooler andhe's always complaining about
that, but that's reallyimportant.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Those are some great tips right there, and I think
yes, and cold and dark is how weevolved outside.
When it got dark outside, wewent to bed because the bears
came out, okay, and this soundsfunny, but it's true we didn't
stay up, we got into our safespace, went to bed and then, as
soon as the sun came up, we gotup because we had things to do,
right, right.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
So evolution kind of plays a part in that but cold
and dark really helps your sleepas well.
Love that I also think.
I always say we wear the badgeof busyness like a badge of
honor, which we shouldn't do.
And you just said don't wearthe badge of sleep deprivation
as a badge of courage.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
We shouldn't do that, no, no and that whole thing.
And I'm Cuban and I'm of Cubandescent, so I was raised like
that, like the more you do, thebetter, the more you do the
better.
And I have had to rewire mybrain now from that.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
So good challenge here around sleep is we need
seven to nine hours of sleep aday.
So that's our second challengereduce our stress and increase
our sleep, which is major.
All right, let's talk hydration.
I got to be honest with you.
Hydration is huge and I getthat.
But I referenced the fact thatwe were just in Europe and we
had two of our kids with us andmy daughter, who has one of
(11:41):
those Stanley cups.
She's like mom, nobody's likewalking around with a Stanley
cup, nobody's got them sittingon the table right in front of
you.
So are we like crazy with thishydration thing?
How important is it?
How much should we have a dayand how much is too much?
Speaker 2 (11:58):
We're not crazy.
In fact, americans don't drinkenough water.
What is the only thing we weregiven on this planet by God or
nature, whatever you believe in,is water.
Our bodies are 70% water, theearth is 70% water.
I see a correlation and we'rehydrated.
(12:19):
And so, by pounds, it's likemen and women, we have a thing.
But we've come to or longevityexperts have come to the
conclusion that a good numberfor every human is 100 ounces of
water a day.
The problem in America and inthe country is that we now have
all these other drinks.
You know, we're drinking coffee, we're drinking energy drinks,
(12:41):
we're drinking wine and allthese things.
Those are all dehydrating,right, and then we skip the
water.
So if we are walking aroundchronically dehydrated, it will
show up as you're tired, you'repuffy and swollen, your joints
ache.
So a lot of times people willsay, oh, my knees are, you're
just dehydrated and we hold onto weight when we're not
(13:03):
drinking water.
So I've had clients of minejust from doing the hundred
ounce water challenge for 30days, they've lost four and five
pounds.
Wow, which sounds crazy.
But you're flushing out toxinsand all these things and, yes,
you will pee.
But we got to get over that atfirst.
But water is important.
I mean you could drink too muchwater, but I don't think that
(13:24):
most people have that problem,right?
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Exactly so 100 ounces should be a good goal for
everybody.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Yes, so that's three one liter bottles.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Okay, well, that should be something very
attainable for everybody.
You know, it was funny becauseat my class, a Pilates class I
go to, there was a gentleman, acouple of reformers, over for me
the other day and I was askingabout his trip and he said, amy,
you will not believe this.
And I said what?
And he goes.
You know how healthy I am?
I said, yeah, I definitely knowhow healthy you are.
(13:52):
He is just a picture of health.
He was on a cruise and heforgot to drink water.
He said I was having so muchfun and doing so many things and
probably drinking a little morethan I should have alcohol and
fun stuff that he ended up.
He said I fainted.
And I fainted because I wasdehydrated.
(14:13):
And he said I can't believe itI didn't have enough water.
And here's somebody that isyounger than me and he's really
fit.
He's really fit Like you wouldthink he wouldn't forget about
that.
So it's a simple thing that weneed to remind ourselves to have
water.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Right, and just you know, add a little extra water
around your coffee, around youknow a nice martini, if that's
what you're going to have, havea water before and after.
So just make sure you're.
I'm not saying don't drink theother stuff, but just don't
count it towards your 100 ounces.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Well, what do you think about these
electrolyte-type things?
You know these minerals you canget for your water, these
packets of stuff you put in yourwater.
On a side note, my husband ison medication for heart and one
of the medications has a sideeffect of dehydration.
Now he needs to put someelectrolytes in his water.
(15:03):
He knows because of the way hisheart is pumping that.
He knows when he's had too muchwater.
He self-regulates, but he doeshave to put some of those
electrolytes in.
Now are those things we shouldbe doing?
I mean, should we be going toWhole Foods or Trader Joe's or
Kroger or wherever you go inthis country, and get stuff?
Speaker 2 (15:22):
I'm not saying don't do it, but I would just say,
like you know, I'll see peopledrinking Gatorades and stuff and
I'm thinking, well, okay,that's meant for, like, football
athletes that are working outin 100-degree weather.
Yes, some of that stuff has alot of sodium, which sodium
isn't bad for you, but some ofit will have added sugars.
There's nothing wrong with thatstuff, but just be careful and
(15:43):
read the labels and just makesure that you're not just
drinking like sugar.
You know Exactly, but most ofus don't need that stuff, and
some of it is just to flavoryour water, and I get that.
But again, if there's things inthere that are dehydrating you,
it could be doing the opposite.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Okay, interesting.
So just a little break here.
Health revival how to be ahappy, healthy human and live to
100.
I have Michelle Cuff with metoday and we've gone through
three things already.
We've gone through stress howto reduce stress, easy things to
do, hydration and we've gonethrough sleep.
Let's talk about nutrition.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
Okay, yeah, that's the food, another F word.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Fearlessly facing food.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Let's be honest, I mean oh and this subject is so
difficult and it's just my gosh,we could spend hours on this.
Yeah, the problem is there'stoo much information these days
and everybody's on some fad diet.
Everybody's doing keto orcarnivore or vegan, you know,
and everybody is like what theheck do I do?
(16:43):
So?
In my book, I break down whatwe were given on this planet.
We were given two categoriesonly, and those were plants and
animals.
Okay, so my rule is, as humananimals, we suck at counting
macros.
We suck at counting calories.
We weren't meant to do that.
We're the only animal speciesthat sits around and weighs our
(17:04):
food and all that stuff.
You're going to get sick ofthat.
You're not going to last doingthat.
So what you do is, if it didn'tcome from out there, don't eat
it, because God puts stops inall of our food.
Okay, and what I mean by thatis you can't eat too much steak
before you're full.
You can't eat pounds ofbroccoli You'll be in the
(17:25):
bathroom.
You can't eat too muchasparagus or those kinds of
things.
So there's already stops in ourfood.
We just have to try to make gooddecisions with the plants and
animals, and in my book I'velisted what those are.
And, of course we're human, Ofcourse we should have fun, Of
course you know we should havetimes where we celebrate and
(17:47):
have cake, but let's make thatkind of like the exception over
here and we stick to the otherstuff like 80% of the time and
then just make sure you'recareful what you're cooking with
because that's another bigissue is the seed oils and and
you know like abroad they don'thave that stuff, and that's one
big reason why we're all so sickright now is because they're
cooking everything in seed oilsRight, and what I mean is like
(18:10):
corn oil, canola oil, vegetableoil, we need avocado oil, we
need coconut oil and olive oil.
Those are the three thingswe're going to use and that will
make a big difference in yourhealth.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Yeah, and those are simple.
I love in the middle of yourbook, like between pages about,
I don't know, 94, 95, all ofthese.
I, of course, went to page 95because I'm going to make this
one.
It's the Brain BoostingBlueberry Milkshake.
This sounds amazing.
It's got protein in it.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
You know you've got your almond or peanut butter,
you've got your almond milk oroat milk, vanilla protein powder
.
This is very simple, yeah.
And so you know I put 30 of myfavorite recipes in there as a
bonus of you know how I cook, orjust some good stuff.
And you know shakes are an easyway to get protein in, which is
important, and they're quickand easy.
So I put some of those in there.
And yeah, and blueberries are asuperfood.
I mean, of all the fruit, I'dsay blueberries is the king, so
(19:09):
it's just a really good, healthyshake.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
All right, I'm going to ask you something because I
know that listeners and viewersright now there's a lot of us
out there, myself included, thatgets intimidated and questions
their whole you know they'relike all right, I'm eating
healthy.
This is my calendar New monthApril's.
In another week, new month.
I'm going to eat healthy.
I'm going to do all this andthen something happens and they
go off the rails.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
You know what.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Nobody's perfect.
You're not perfect.
Nobody's perfect, we're alltrying our best, so let's walk
through.
If there's somebody listeningthat's going to start their
health journey, they're going topick up your book and they're
going to say I'm going to startBefore they even get the book.
What can they do at the grocerystore today when they go to get
two healthy meals?
What should they be looking for?
Speaker 2 (19:54):
I would say, of course, we hear this all the
time.
Stick to the perimeter.
Oh, I've heard that.
Okay, so there's truth to that.
Okay, I would focus on organicvegetables and grass-fed beef
and wild-caught fish.
So those are the things that Iwould focus on, and of course,
the fruits are in the producearea too, but I would just.
(20:16):
You know.
So, when you go to a restaurantand you're ordering food, what
is the most expensive thing onthe menu?
Right, you're going to have asteak, you're going to have
wild-caught salmon's the best.
So some kind of fish and thenvegetables.
So that's what I would suggestthat people do, and that's how I
eat most of the time.
Perfect Is from those twogroups.
And that's my plate.
(20:36):
I've got, you know, a piece ofsteak here and then, like last
night, I had a bunch of broccoliand Brussels sprouts that
filled my plate and I was fulland I felt so good after I was
done.
I never had a sugar spike oranything.
Stay away from sugar.
That's the problem.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Oh I know, oh, it's my nemesis, I'm telling you.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
But it's so good, fearlessly facing sugar.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Yeah, not an F but an S.
I know.
I think a part of that is how Iwas raised.
I mean, all five of us.
There were five of us in ourfamily and I think we all have a
sweet tooth because my momserved us dessert every night.
We were a dessert family, fromlemon rind pie to you.
Remember those huge, big gallonthings of ice cream with the
(21:18):
metal.
It like had a metal handle.
I mean we went through that.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
I don't know how I'm alive right now.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
Me too.
Me too, we went through thatlike crazy.
My dad would slice a banana.
He'd open up that jar ofHershey's chocolate sauce you
know you could hear the metalcoming off of it and pour it on.
That's how we ate every night,I mean we, we.
So sugar for me is a is a bigdeal.
So I'm with you.
Anybody that's listening outthere that has a challenge with
that.
But, michelle, those are good,really good tips, because we can
go to the perimeter, we canwalk around.
(21:45):
Let's talk about fish for aminute, because this does
confuse me.
And then I want to go to thefitness aspect.
But salmon Salmon is confusingto me.
Like I'll go to Whole Foods andit's wild, something, something
, and it's $12.99, or this one's$24.99 a pound, or this one's
on special for $7.99.
Do you buy the cheapest?
Do you only buy wild?
Let's walk through that.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
No, the farm-raised salmon is just terrible.
Ah, good to know, andfarm-raised salmon isn't even
orange.
They put like dyes in there toturn it orange Wild-caught.
If you can't get wild-caught Ijust wouldn't eat it because the
other ones you'll get parasitesand things like that.
I mean you want, especiallywith salmon.
(22:26):
When you go to a restaurant,almost all of it is farm-raised
and they feed those fish grossthings.
You'll have to look that up.
Wow, that is good to know.
If it's cheap at the store youcan pretty much bet it's
farm-raised.
Okay, and I hate to say this,but go by price.
You'll see the bright orangepackaging.
You'll know that that's thewild-caught and it's going to
(22:48):
cost more but I think we'reworth it.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
I'm just everything we put in our bodies is so
important.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Thank you for that.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
Don't be cheap on yourself.
Exactly, that was a littlesideline, a little tip for Amy,
(23:23):
no-transcript, trying to followmy husband into a hotel gym
because he was traveling threeor four nights a week and I went
with him on a trip and sureenough he's going in the gym and
the minute I'd walk in thereI'd be like, oh man, I don't
even know how to turn thetreadmill on.
(23:44):
And then to try and figure outyour headphones and then try to
get a TV station on and then I'mlike, oh screw it, I don't even
know and I walk out because Iget intimidated.
So I think a lot of people.
So walk us through how we canovercome that fear.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
I know and this is, I'm in the gym almost every day
and I see this, I see it playout every I'll see the guys come
in and they bring theirgirlfriends and you know they
look, the girls just look lost.
You know, I would say that ifyou are starting a health
journey at the gym, these bigbox gyms can be very
intimidating, but I promise youthat nobody cares, nobody there
(24:20):
is judging you.
In fact, I think most peopleare encouraging and again I
would say either hire someonelike a trainer or join those
classes.
I taught fitness classes forover 20 years and I loved it and
it always seemed to help.
People find you, make friendsthere and there's always people
(24:41):
in there that are novices likeyou are.
But you've just got to get yourhead wrapped around the fact
that being physically fit is soimportant for our overall life
and for longevity and I hate tojust sound like this, but you
got to get over it.
You've just got to.
If you have that attitude andyou're just going to quit
(25:02):
because you might feel a littleintimidated, you're only hurting
yourself, because I believepeople at the gym are willing to
help.
Like I'll see someonestruggling, like especially
women.
I'll go over there and say doyou mind if I just give you a
tip, you know, and I'll helpthem out, and they're so happy.
Right, you can also in my book Ikind of break down how to build
a home gym.
Right, you can also in my bookI kind of break down how to
(25:25):
build a home gym.
So if you're someone that justdoesn't want to go to the gym
yet you know there's so mucheasy stuff you can buy on Amazon
and then you've got your phonethat has YouTube and workout
videos and things like that Finda friend.
It's always good to find a gymbuddy, especially women who can
go together.
I've always had gym buddy totrain with my friends and it
always works.
So you just got to try to findways around that and get some
(25:50):
self-confidence Exactly andaccountability.
Partner around fitness andaround all of that is so
important, michelle, I want toask you when did your passion
and purpose really align?
Speaker 1 (26:00):
Because I think that's so important for people
listening to know, because itdoesn't have to happen that you
know there's no deadline on that.
Your passion and purpose all ofa sudden can intersect when
you're in your 60s and you'relike, have this aha moment of
this is what I want to do.
When did that happen for you?
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Yeah, so after my third daughter was born and I
quit working and I was astay-at-home mom, I joined the
gym just so, mainly so I couldget an hour break, because, you
know, the gyms will have thatdaycare center.
I don't know, but I was.
They had a sign-up sheet oneday and they were looking for
spinning instructors.
Now I think I'd only taken onespin class in my life and I
(26:40):
stood there and looked at thatpaper and I don't know.
I have faith, so I don't knowif it was the Holy Spirit
speaking to me, but I heardthat's what you should do and
I'm thinking even to myself.
But it just came.
I felt this calling right andthat started me on this journey
of fitness instructor and Ithink, well, to get me to the
(27:01):
point I'm at today, it has takenmany, you know, many different
aha moments in many years.
But I think sometimes we hearthat voice but we just turn it
off because we think I can't dothat right.
And I know that I come acrossto people as I'm so confident.
And you know you and I havebeen on the same show here in
(27:21):
Tampa.
You know I am scared every timeand I was scared for years every
time I would teach a class, youknow, and you're always going
to have the naysayers.
You're always going to havepeople that talk you out of it.
Even your own family will tryand talk you out of things.
I think you just have toconnect with that inner voice
and if something's pulling youand telling you to do something,
(27:42):
you've got to try it.
I was scared to write this book.
I didn't know if I could dosomething like that, and that
came later on, of course, and Iwish I could give you this
definite answer.
But I think that it's just.
There's this moment in timewhere you just something is
presented to you.
You think it seems likesomething you could do and
(28:02):
you're either going to say I'mgoing to do it or you're going
to say I can't do it, don'tlisten to that negative voice
Exactly and you know what thatinner critic is so loud.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
I say it so often it's so noisy, but that inner
cheerleader has just got toovertake it and it's got to be
loud and proud and do it.
And there's know there is no,there's no judgment, you know
there's no timeline.
It's not like, if you want towrite a book, great, but if you
just want to journal, and that'ssomething that's really
empowering to you do it, and Ithink that's where so many
people get stuck.
(28:33):
They don't.
They just think there's toomany judges, there's too many
people thinking that they can'tdo it, and you know, self-doubt
and all of those limitingbeliefs come in.
So I love that you know, we gotto be fearless.
That's what we have to do, andand I'm sure you say this with
your kids and grandkids toowhat's the worst case scenario,
right?
What's the worst case, right?
I?
Speaker 2 (28:51):
saw one copy in my book.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
All right.
Well, one person benefited fromit.
That's better than zero.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
You know, and trust me, I have failed at things many
times and I've cried aboutthings and I've been like gosh.
I just came across as stupidtoday I don't know what.
You know, we have to go throughthose things to grow, and I
think the great thing aboutbeing around 50 years old is we
do kind of tend to get like thisnot that I don't care attitude,
(29:16):
but a little bit of confidencecomes with the years.
So, you know, I would say ageis not a factor in anything
either.
You know, especially for women,keep trying.
If there's something that'sbeen nagging at you for years,
do it.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
Try it.
I love it, you know, and I wantto give a little shout out to
Maggie Rodriguez and GailGallardo, because they are just
such incredible women and youknow.
Maggie gets up at 5.30 in themorning and exercises every day
before she's on, and I knowGail's fitness journey is so
amazing.
And you find those people inyour life.
I always call them unexpectedtreasures.
(29:52):
Those are two women in my lifethat came in unexpectedly.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
Same with me.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
They add value in such a way.
That is incredible.
I know, and.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Gail has become my friend.
We go to church together andMaggie, we laugh because we're
both Cuban, so we always laughbecause she says she has to
really try not to talk with herhands.
And the same with me.
It's like I have to tie myhands behind my back because
this is me all the time.
I love it, but they are amazingwomen and I just love women at
this age too it's and you know,I listened to your friends
(30:26):
podcast and we may not have aton of friends, but we have, you
know, quality friends and wecan continue to make friends in
our older age Exactly, and Ithink that comes to a point in
this show today where we have torealize that when you admire
somebody, reach out to them, youknow, encourage them,
acknowledge them and, michelle,you certainly do that with
(30:47):
everything that you do.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
Before we leave today and we're certainly running out
of time, I highly recommendyour book.
You know, what I love about itis it's very no-nonsense, it's
really, it's an easy read, butat the end of the day, it's so
practical and it's things thatwe can incorporate right away,
so I love that.
Oh, thank you, michelle.
Before we leave today, I'mgoing to ask you that question
that I ask on every episode, andthat is Michelle, if you're
(31:13):
sitting on the couch and youlook over and there you are, at
30, what advice would you giveher?
Speaker 2 (31:22):
Oh, wow, 30.
I already had three kids.
I would say, gosh, just don'tbe so hard on yourself, you
don't have to figure everythingout right.
Then and there I would tell herto just it's okay to have bad
days, it's okay to have gooddays, it's okay to fail, but
(31:46):
just don't give up on yourdreams, and just you don't have
to have it all figured out.
I said 30 years old boy.
I just I would say maybe I wasso naive.
It's tough to talk to thatperson because I feel like I
can't connect to her anymorebecause she was so long ago for
me.
(32:06):
But I would just tell her Ididn't have faith back then.
I grew up Catholic.
I would say find some faith,believe in something more than
yourself, look at the bigpicture of just the beauty of
life.
Stop and just take some timefor yourself.
I think that's what I wouldtell her.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Treat yourself as a guest of honor, michelle.
I love that.
Yes, thank you so much forbeing on.
We could talk about so manymore things, but you gave us so
many great, tangible tips aroundmanaging our stress, sleep,
hydration, nutrition all ofthose things that are little
things.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
we can reframe in our everyday life and become our
inner cheerleader again andsilence that and I want to just
touch real quick before we leaveback to the fitness For women,
our age, we really need to focuson weight training more than
just endless cardio.
So we want to start to doweights because our hormones are
depleted and that's going tobuild our hormones back up.
(33:03):
So don't be afraid to hit theweights and don't be afraid to
lift heavy.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
I love that, michelle .
I got to have you back, you gotto come in studio and we got to
do a little something, becausewe didn't even get into
menopause.
But Michelle Koff, thank you somuch for being my guest today
and look forward to seeing you.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Thank you, Amy.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
All right, okay, thank you so much.
Thanks so much for listeningtoday.
We know how valuable your timeis and that's why we keep it
short and sweet.
Don't forget to follow us onall the socials, and you can
check out all the links andresources in the show notes.
Until next time, go forth andbe awesome.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.