July 13, 2024 • 44 mins
Unlock the secrets to wellness in midlife and beyond with our special guest, Annie Gaudreault. In this episode, you'll learn how Annie transitioned from a brand consultant and marathon coach to a dedicated wellness advocate. Annie shares her insights on the unique health challenges faced by women in midlife, such as menopause, sleep issues, and weight gain, and how to overcome psychological barriers rooted in childhood experiences. Hear practical advice on safeguarding your sleep, managing hormonal changes, and maintaining emotional well-being. These lifestyle adjustments not only enhance health but also promote a positive mindset about aging.
Thank you for listening.
Be sure to visit the Restless to Renewed website for pictures and more information about episode guests at www.RestlesstoRenewed.com.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Janice (00:13):
Welcome to Restless, to Renewed Women, Redefining
Midlife and Beyond.
I'm your host, Janice Neely,and today we have a special
guest joining us from Toronto,Canada.
Annie Gaudreault is not just anutritionist and a health coach,
but also a passionate speakerdedicated to empowering women in
their journey towards wellness.
Join us as Annie shares herinsights, experiences and wisdom
(00:37):
on navigating midlife withvitality and purpose.
Welcome, Annie.
Annie (00:43):
Thank you so much for having me.
Janice (00:49):
We're happy to have you here today and I think everyone
listening will enjoy.
The topic and it's somethingthat's always on our mind is
health and nutrition, although Ihave to say I'm not the person
that people would probably wantto follow.
But I will tell everyone thatyou're going to want to hear
what Annie has decided.
So if you're interested inimproving your health, so let's
just get started.
And what inspired you to becomea nutritionist and a wellness
(01:12):
coach?
Annie (01:13):
Yeah, that's actually an interesting story because my
first career was not at all inthe health wellness world.
I was a brand consultant and Iwas what they call on the side
people who are weekend warriors,you know.
You do all these differenttypes of challenges and I became
(01:34):
quite an avid runner and it ledme to coaching, marathoning and
specifically women, and that'swhen I discovered that I just
loved that world.
But it took me a number ofyears to figure out what am I
going to do with this, rightLike?
I'm not a professional, I'm notan Olympian, I don't have that
(01:56):
big level of notoriety.
So I decided to go back toschool and a really good fit was
to become a nutritionist sothat I could marry that with my
background as an enduranceathlete.
Janice (02:11):
So what is your coaching philosophy and approach to
nutrition and health?
Annie (02:17):
I think that one of the things that I like to say is
that there is no one size fitsall.
Each woman, each of us aredifferent, so we cannot just
have one little cookie cutterplan for everybody.
Oh, everybody should be this,or everybody should be a
vegetarian.
You know, there is no suchthing.
So I think that it's reallyabout embracing our differences
(02:41):
and then listening to what isgoing on with us, so that we can
provide you with something thatis custom and makes sense for
you.
Janice (02:52):
I like that because I think that a lot of us will see
things on TV and they make theseblanket statements about this
is the cure or this is the beall, end all, and everybody's
makeup is different, as you justsaid, and I like the idea of
someone who works with youpersonally and figures it out
alongside you instead of justtelling you here do it this way
(03:14):
and move on.
The program here is for womenmidlife and beyond, and I know
you work with women in midlife.
I'm sure some of what you willsay today will also be
appropriate for women who arebeyond midlife and maybe in
their 70s, 80s, whatever.
So what are some of the commonhealth challenges you see in
older women?
Annie (03:36):
Well, I think that one of the things that we see is that
our bodies are changing frommenopause and suddenly we're
like what is going on and whatis happening to my body?
What I used to do no longerworks, or I'm having sleep
issues and now my nutrition is alittle bit off and I'm gaining
(03:58):
weight.
These are very common thingsthat we see for women at midlife
common things that we see forwomen at midlife.
Janice (04:08):
You know, one of the things that I think I find with
myself is I will talk myself outof being healthy.
Now, that may sound ridiculousto some people, but as I get
older, I keep thinking oh why,why try?
So that's where I think thetailored work that you do with
each person would be helpful.
Absolutely Right.
Annie (04:27):
Think about it, our backgrounds, what's going on in
our lives.
You know, I'll tell you a story.
This is really fascinating.
So often women will say I justdon't like exercising.
Right, and this is a verycommon thing.
I don't want to get all sweatyand I hate the whole feeling of
it, and so on.
But often what's happening iswhen we start to peel the layers
(04:48):
of what's underneath.
That is, that a lot of us wereshamed in school because we
couldn't do these exercises thateverybody else seemed to be
able to be good at.
We're asked to do pull-ups andall kinds of things and a lot of
us did not fit the mold.
Like I know, I was a terriblyuncoordinated kid.
(05:09):
I was never picked for anysports whatsoever and it made me
think that I was not good atsports and that's a shame
because you know it can staywith us our entire lives.
So this is just to say oftenwhat happens is that once we
start peeling the layers ofwhat's at the root cause of us
feeling this way, we canactually kind of see hey, you
(05:31):
know what?
That doesn't apply anymore.
And that may have been truewhen I was eight years old, but
I'm now 58.
And you know I actually likewalking, I like hiking, maybe I
like tennis, it doesn't matter.
So we start to look at what isbehind all of this and it really
(05:53):
helps women see that this is nolonger something that they have
to worry about well, I wouldn'tsay that, and with me I'm
asking for an impromptu therapysession.
Janice (06:06):
sounds like let's do it.
I think I'm just lazy.
I get so engrossed in all myother work and I think I'll do
that later.
It never becomes a priority.
Annie (06:20):
And you know that's the truth, Like when we say I don't
have time, I don't have theenergy.
Often, basically, what we sayis this is not a priority for me
.
So I try to work with women sothat they see that this is your
capital to work with and youcannot buy health in a pill.
It can buy relief in a pill,but you don't buy overall health
(06:43):
.
Janice (06:43):
I love that I'm going to have to remember that you can
buy relief but not health.
That is perfect, and and I youknow, I watch all these programs
at night and they're talkingabout this medication and that
medication, and I think the sideeffects are much more worse
often than the actual problemthat you have, and so
alternative methods, instead ofjust going to the doctor, seem
(07:11):
appropriate or are appropriate.
I think we just kind of talkedabout the specific needs of
women who are perimenopausal,menopausal and postmenopausal.
Are there differences in howyou work with these women in
these different stages?
Annie (07:20):
Yeah, because the needs of the body are very different
when you are at perimenopause sojust preparing to enter
menopause and there's a lot offluctuations to, of course,
being postmenopausal, where nowestrogen levels have dropped and
we know what we're dealing with.
You know the exercisedifferently.
(07:42):
You may want to also reallysupport the woman differently in
terms of diet, whether it'sperimenopause through
postmenopause.
Now there are some broadstrokes that are common making
sure that we eat enough protein,we need enough fiber, that
we're really focusing on somehealthy fats, especially as we
(08:04):
think about cognitive health.
It's a big focus of older women.
You know dementia, alzheimer's,very scary diseases and it
affects women three times morethan men.
So we do need to focus on it.
So we really tailor thenutrition and the movement to be
different, especially for olderwomen.
(08:27):
But it's a great time to start.
If you are listening to thisand you are 45, most likely in
perimenopause, this is the timeto make some strong roots so
that you get through menopauseas smoothly as possible and
everyone's journey will bedifferent, but also it will set
you up for success.
You know, janice, this is aninteresting statistic.
(08:48):
Actually, the average woman has33 years to live after natural
menopause.
Like 33 years.
That's some awesome time for usto live our lives.
Janice (09:03):
That just came to my mind actually when we were
talking, because I was thinkingabout one of the first programs
we do when Robin and I weredoing it was how much time we
have to do different things withour lives.
But if you don't feel good, youknow what good is having that
time.
One of the ladies that was onthe program has a place for
people to bring their familymembers in for dementia respite
(09:27):
and it's just a short programduring the day 10 to 2.
But I went down and visited andI was expecting very, very
elderly people.
There were some, but there werewomen younger than me and I was
shocked.
And so I'm not saying we cancure dementia or anything with
proper nutrition, but what doesit hurt to try?
Annie (09:49):
Absolutely, and science is very clear.
There's a really famous medicaljournal called the Lancet, and
the Lancet published an articlethat said that a third of all
dementia cases are preventable.
A third, you're kidding Right.
Preventable, so preventable.
A third, you're kidding Right.
Preventable, so preventablemeans lifestyle strategies.
(10:09):
What does lifestyle strategymean?
Janice (10:12):
Nutrition, environment, sleep, movement all of those
things Interesting, because Ithought it was almost something
that you inherited, which I'msure there are components to
that, but the l Lancet isextremely well-recognized
journal.
Annie (10:31):
Yeah, this is not social media.
Whomever wants to say whateverthey want to say.
This is really solidinformation, and in that article
they were saying a third iswhat we believe is preventable
today, but we know that overtime it's going to be larger
than a third.
That is preventable.
So to me that's really excitingfor women because it means it
(10:56):
gives us our power back.
We can actually have agencyover the outcome of our lives
over the outcome of our lives.
Janice (11:09):
I really like your enthusiasm about it because the
positivity is so helpful tosomeone like me who thinks it's
inevitable.
So again, why worry about it?
Just live my life.
But maybe it isn't inevitablethat these changes happen or
escalated.
Let's put it that way.
Yeah, do you have any dietaryrecommendations for women once
they've reached midlife?
Is there anything special?
Annie (11:30):
Yes, actually, this is really important now to pay
attention to increasing ourprotein, to increasing our
vegetables and our fruit,because we want more fiber.
So we want to make sure thatwe're doing that.
And then we want to payattention to our fats, and you
know, a lot of us grew up withthe low fat diets, which really
(11:54):
messed up everyone's dietultimately, and we were told to
have margarine and lay off thebutter and a lot of misguided
information.
So now what we want to makesure is that we go back to these
very healthy fats, the onesthat we know are proven to
protect the brain, to alsoprotect our heart.
Right, they're what we callanti-inflammatory fats.
(12:17):
So olive oil, avocado, the fatsthat are in nuts, for example.
Those are the three broadstrokes the protein, more fiber
with the vegetables, the fruit,and healthy fats.
Janice (12:33):
I know my mom is 85 and I've spoken about her before on
the show but she walks threemiles every morning.
She's saying she might cut itdown to two, but a couple of
years ago she decided she wasgoing to lose weight and she
lost about 40 pounds.
Wow, and the way she did thatwas a combination of walking,
but she increased her fat intakeand some of the things she did.
(12:55):
I was thinking that'scounterintuitive, like you said,
to everything that she waseating butter like crazy.
But her cholesterol has gonedown and her blood pressure.
Now, part of that's the weightloss.
But I think there are peoplethat have high blood pressure,
that are thin.
Annie (13:12):
Yes, the size of a person is not the full story of
representation of health.
It's like looking at a book andgoing, oh, you know, I'm going
to judge this book by its cover.
Looking at a book and going, oh, you know, I'm going to judge
this book by its cover.
There's a lot of unhealthy leanpeople and there's a lot of
(13:34):
healthy people who, on theoutside, seem like they're
carrying extra weight.
So we have to be very careful.
We cannot judge somebody'shealth like that.
Okay, how do?
Janice (13:39):
you address mental health and emotional well-being
in your coaching?
How do you address mentalhealth and emotional well-being
in your coaching?
Annie (13:45):
You know, this is such an important thing, janice.
It's underlooked because thisbecomes very topical as we get
to midlife, because estrogenactually protects the brain and
also protected our mental health.
So a lot of women start tosuffer from anxiety and
(14:05):
depression, even massive moodswings like irritability and
anger, and a lot of women arelike oh my God, I'm losing my
mind, what is happening to me?
I hate everything, I hate mylife, and we think there's
something wrong with us andthere's nothing wrong with us.
(14:25):
So that's the first thing.
What we need to realize is thebrain is now missing some of its
estrogen and is having tore-stabilize, and it takes time
for this to happen.
So we need to address it bydoing a number of things.
We need to protect our sleep,we need to protect our time to
(14:46):
recharge our batteries.
I used to be one of thosepeople who were like I'll do
that when I'm like 90.
I don't have time for this.
I got to be producing.
In North America, we are allabout hard work, workaholic, we
promote that, and so a lot ofwomen are very much at risk for
their mental health to reallytake a big, big hit.
(15:08):
So we deal with it by makingsure that we've got our
priorities straight.
Self-care is not like going tothe spa you can go to the spa,
that's nice, but we're talkingabout so much more fundamental
work every day and every week tomake sure that we're taking
care of ourselves.
Janice (15:27):
Yeah, I like that interpretation of self-care.
I think a lot of people thatI've known feel like we've got
to go ahead and do all the otherthings and I'll get to me when
I can.
Yeah, and then you break down.
Annie (15:41):
Yes, and this is why we see the prescription of sleeping
pills is double digits on therise.
This is also why we see doubledigits on the rise of depression
and anxiety medications, andI'm not saying that those meds
are not helpful for some peopleat times, but what I'm saying is
the pill doesn't replace havinggood mental, emotional and
(16:04):
physical hygiene.
Janice (16:07):
Can you share some success stories from your
clients One, two or however manyyou'd like to tell us about?
Annie (16:13):
Yeah, you know, there's one client and she came to me a
successful leadership coach andmom of four, you know, really
busy.
Only one at the time had leftthe nest.
The others were still highschool and middle school and she
had gained a lot of weight andhad a bit of a back injury that
(16:36):
had also prevented her fromdoing some movement for quite a
long time, and all the hormonalstuff that we hear about.
And when we finished ourjourney together and we were
speaking, what was incredible isshe said to me, you know, Annie
, when we got introduced I hadalmost given up on myself.
(16:59):
It really gets to me profoundlybecause she obviously gave a
lot to her family and obviouslygave a lot to her clients, but
her cup was empty and shethought there's no option for me
, there's no future here, and itwas so profound to hear her say
(17:20):
that.
So we got her back on track withpriority around the movement,
which helped her mental health,and that also made her start to
make better choices with hernutrition.
So it's a domino effect when westart, and what's really
beautiful about that is thatwhen women make these changes,
(17:42):
janice, it's like the pebblethat falls into the water.
It ripples through the family,so the family's healthier.
We become great examples.
We need to lead by example, sothat's probably one of my
favorite stories to share.
Janice (18:01):
Well, that's a nice story, and I identify with so
much of what you're saying.
I'm sure a lot of listenerswill identify with this, because
we see roadblocks in front ofus and they may or may not be
real, but in our minds they'rereal, and so to have someone
walk you through it, and that'swhat.
Annie (18:30):
Because it is hard, it is not easy, right, we need to be
supported so that we aresuccessful in making these
changes.
Janice (18:39):
And so many people, including myself at times, try
to go things alone and think Ican do this.
I don't need any help.
It's just my own weakness.
If I just pull my bootstraps up, I'll be better, yep, and
there's no accountability.
So it always happens next week,but it doesn't happen.
It's going to happen next week,but it doesn't happen.
Annie (19:01):
Exactly, exactly.
And then we look at our phoneand we go oh, I just saw
something on Instagram, I'mgoing to try it Right.
Oh, and Susie, over here, shesaid that you know that eating
three bowls of kale every dayreally helped her.
It's not founded in any scienceand it's not founded in
anything that is customized foryou, so you're bound to fail.
Janice (19:24):
Yeah, I remember seeing these different charts of if
you're built like an apple or ifyou're built like a pear, this
is how you should eat, and allthat.
I don't know if any of that'sworthy of reading about, but you
know, there's so many peopleout there telling you this is
the answer.
And again, it's not tailored,it's just their generalizations.
Annie (19:44):
Yeah, exactly, and sometimes there's a bit of a
kernel at the bottom.
It's a bit like a pyramid.
The foundation sometimes can betrue, but then we need to
refine and make this morespecific for you, so got to be
very careful about like this isthe answer for everyone.
This is what I do day in, dayout, and I know that it is not
(20:04):
possible to be successful thatway.
Janice (20:06):
Okay, I would agree, as I've had so many missteps.
I have a lady that was on theprogram.
She does yoga and her name'sLeslie.
Leslie says Janice, I'm sendingyou my video for my yoga class
and I see you're not doing itand I go, I will, I will, and
I'm so embarrassed, I'membarrassed, oh my.
(20:30):
What are some misconceptionsabout aging and health that you
often encounter?
Annie (20:35):
There are so many.
I'm so glad you're asking thatquestion because it is such an
issue.
We live in North America in anageist world, so we have in the
back of our brain beliefs aroundaging that absolutely have
nothing to do with reality.
(20:55):
But we were told since we wereyoung oh, be careful, it's an
old lady, be careful, thatperson is frail.
Assuming that because you'reold, you're frail.
We have this idea that gettingolder is bad, because look at
all the anti-aging business outthere.
It makes me crazy.
I normally curse when I talkabout this I'm going to keep
(21:18):
this clean but it makes mereally angry, thank you.
It makes me so angry because weare hurting women and we're
hurting men by thinking thatthere's some shame about aging.
So our mindset about aging isso powerful, janice, that there
is a PhD in the US.
(21:38):
She did a big study and shelaunched her book during the
pandemic.
Her name is Becca Levy.
She's a sociologist and shestudied older people and what
she was able to substantiate isthat your mindset about aging so
whether you think aging is apositive thing and aging is a
(21:59):
time of opportunity, et cetera,et cetera, whether you were
thinking positive or negative,will add to your life.
7.5 years, wow, it's almost adecade we're talking about here,
and that's an average.
So there's some people who arereally higher up.
So a lot of what I encounter iswomen saying well, you know, I
(22:22):
have a high blood pressure,isn't that just because I'm
getting old and I'm like?
No, it is a result of you beinginactive.
Let's look at your diet.
It's perhaps a result of someof your habits.
So not everything is about theresult of aging, but this is
what we say in order to go ohwell, you know, it's not my
(22:43):
fault, I'm just getting old.
Are some things that arenatural process of aging?
We're going to get wrinkles,they don't.
Some of the skin texturechanges.
However, our ability to remainstrong, healthy is in our power.
Janice (23:12):
I like what you said about the mindset, because I
thought about this image onetime and it was asking people
how do you see your life?
And one would be an image ofpeaking at 40 and then going
downhill.
One would be going downhill thewhole time and then one would
be I'm always reaching forsomething else, and so you're
always going up.
And if I could get that in myhead I'm always moving up, I'm
(23:33):
not going downhill, I love it,it's just I'm always moving up,
I'm not going downhill, I loveit.
It's just change, but notnecessarily down Change means
exciting opportunities anddiscovery.
Annie (23:45):
And, janice, you're actually living what they preach
in terms of keep on doing newthings right Explore, of keep on
doing new things right Explore.
We have a lot of knowledgearound what it takes to age in a
very strong way and people justare not aware because we are
too busy telling people that'sjust a normal thing because
(24:07):
you're getting old, oh, we'rejust going to give you a blood
pressure pill, we're just goingto give you a cholesterol pill,
and sometimes, of course, thesethings are important.
But you know, when we thinkabout the real epidemic that we
have in the world, it's diabetesby far.
It damages so much and I knowthat we have some products that
(24:28):
are helping and I'm talkingabout diabetes type two here,
just to be clear, not diabetestype one, which is an autoimmune
disease.
Type 2, which is a lifestyledisease, and there's so much
that we can do to help people.
So when I hear, well, it's justnormal because I'm getting
older, I say no, that's a lie,that's actually a lie.
Janice (24:49):
Those are misconceptions .
Those are some.
So if you were to flip thescript and give some
recommendations to help somebodystay motivated and not buy into
that, oh, you're just gettingold mentality.
What would you say to them?
Annie (25:08):
One thing that is really exciting is science is on your
side, so we know that we can agewith so much vitality.
The other thing that I like toremind people we were just
talking about that whole 33years Women live up to, on
average, 84 years, men 81.
I remind people, think aboutall the things that you want to
do that are on that so-calledbucket list.
(25:31):
Here you are doing podcasting.
It could be I'm going to launchsomething else.
People want to travel.
They want to see theirgrandkids grow and enjoy that.
There's many, many things in ourlives.
Every single thing that youwant to do requires you to have
great health.
You want to travel.
(25:52):
You want to roll around in thegrass with grandkids.
It takes a lot of energy.
That energy is the essence oflife.
So I always say keep in mindthese beautiful goals that you
have of living your life andmaking these next decades the
most amazing ones, and that willhelp you stay on track with.
(26:15):
I'm going to go for that walkand I'm going to do that yoga
class that my friend sent meright, because I want to be able
to have a body that bends andmoves nicely.
It's not to win contests and togo to the Olympics, it's just
for us to have the quality oflife that we want.
Janice (26:32):
All Right, it all makes so much sense.
What role does social supportand community play in health and
wellness of women?
Annie (26:46):
I think this is where women excel over men.
We know from studies that beingwell supported by a community
of like-minded women will keepus on track.
The women that will also tellus when we are doing a little
(27:10):
bit of nonsense, they'll call usout on that nonsense and
they'll be be like hey, annie,you said a year ago you wanted
to do this, and suddenly you'resaying what's happening here?
These communities are gold forour health, right, they fill our
cup, they fill our soul, theykeep us honest, they keep us on
(27:30):
track.
So I always say a coach isreally important, but make sure
that you're surrounded by peoplewho also share your values.
Janice (27:41):
And we're trying to achieve some of that with
Restless, to Renewed and helpingwomen feel like they have a
support system and sometimes atouchstone, just someplace to go
and just gas up again.
Annie (27:56):
Yes, yeah, and you know, I think it's really great that
you talk about that and what youhave created because loneliness
is real in our society, aboutthat and what you have created
because loneliness is real inour society.
We don't talk about it becausewe're a bit ashamed to admit.
I always say, if you own yourown businesses, oh my God, talk
about feeling lonely.
It's tough, it's really tough.
(28:18):
It can feel very lonely attimes.
So I think that what you'redoing is definitely a touchstone
and, for some people, a very,very important place for them to
be seen and to be heard.
So for everyone listening tothis podcast, I say please join
and surround yourself with manywonderful women who will
(28:43):
definitely help you feel betterand stronger, right, we?
Janice (28:49):
teach each other that we count and that we're here for a
reason and we're not just aplaceholder in life now.
Annie (28:57):
Yeah, you're talking about deep human values.
Janice (29:00):
Exactly.
There's plenty of otherpodcasts about other things, but
right here I want it to be alearning experience and
something where people can comeand feel comforted and some joy
and happiness Love it.
How do you stay updated on thelatest research and trends in
health and wellness for women?
Annie (29:20):
This is almost a full-time job, janice, but what
helps is that I am a total nerd,so I'm always reading a book,
I'm always listening to apodcast and, honestly, if you're
going to be serious about beingin the health and wellness
world, you must commit yourselfto ongoing learning.
So I build it in my day-to-daylife, just like movement.
(29:41):
I have to do it every day, alot more for mental health
reasons for me than physicalreasons, but I read or I'll
listen to a workshop that otherprofessionals are giving,
because it is such a big worldof health and wellness and I
need to do that to serve myclients at the best of my
(30:02):
abilities.
Janice (30:03):
So it sounds like you use technology to learn, do you
use it in your practice also?
Annie (30:08):
Yes, actually, the way that I set up the business was
100% virtual, and why I did thatwas that right now you see me
and the background is nature andall that.
That's not my regular home.
I'm up north right now, acouple of hours north of Toronto
beautiful lake area, and Iwanted to be able to have the
(30:29):
flexibility.
So thank goodness for all thatamazing technology.
It allows me to be tracking myclients and making sure the
accountability is there, and Iuse many of those tools to stay
current.
Janice (30:45):
You have a company and it's Vive, and it's spelled for
listeners.
It's V, as in Victor, e-e, v asin Victor, vive.
What is Vive?
Annie (30:57):
Well, you know, my background is French, canadian,
and there's a French expressionthat says joie de vivre, the joy
of living.
So vive was a bit of a play onword with that, because this
company, which is essentially ahealth coaching practice either
private coaching or groupprograms is all about giving
(31:19):
women that joy of living intheir bodies, in a way that
they're happy and that they havefreedom and that they feel
empowered.
Janice (31:30):
How long have you been in business?
Has it been several years?
Annie (31:34):
Yeah, it's been almost seven years now and I never
thought I would be here today.
It's been an amazing journey.
Janice (31:43):
Your clients find you through different, I'm sure,
marketing efforts, but I noticedtoo that you have something
coming up.
Yes, it's called the MenopauseEmpowerment Summit Boy.
That sounds counter menopauseempowerment.
Annie (32:01):
I know right, I want to make sure that women get some
good stuff there.
I know right, I want to makesure that women got some good
stuff there.
Well, you know, people find meusually through either word of
mouth or they've heard me on apodcast, they've heard me speak
somewhere.
So I do a lot of speakingvirtual and in person, and
that's when they go.
You know, I need what you haveto deliver here and this is why
(32:25):
I created this summit, because Isee that so many women find
this midlife time to be doom andgloom and I want to show them
that it doesn't have to be thatway and I want to give them the
tools, because everyone's goingto be different, not one size
(32:45):
fits all Again, that theme.
So this is a two-day, july 23rdand July 24th online, so
anybody can join from anywhere,and it's 6 to 9 pm and it's free
, or there's also a VIP option,but you can join us for free and
you get gifts.
It's not just me, it's alsoguest experts because, as we
(33:10):
said, health and wellness is sobig.
We're going to be tackling thebig stuff the hormones, the
supplements, what diet if youwant to lose weight, if you have
cholesterol, if you're dealingwith this like the big common
things that we see at menopause,and then we're going to be
talking about the mental aspectof this transition, because
(33:30):
menopause is this bigopportunity for transition into
the next stage, and we're evengoing to have a stylist who is
going to give us tips to dressso that we feel comfortable even
though our body shape might bechanging.
So it's going to be the wholegamut over those two days.
Janice (33:53):
It's so funny because when we talk about menopause
it's always been so negative.
The language, even the word, tome, just sounds icky sometimes
because of the way women talkedabout it.
Well, and yeah, women didn'ttalk about it, they were
committing a crime, you know.
But years ago I worked in anoffice and there were several of
(34:14):
us that were older than therest of the women, yep, and we
were talking.
One day we got those yellowstrips that you bring out at a
crime scene, wrapped it aroundour area and said enter at your
own risk, you're crossing themenopausal line.
We got by with it.
Annie (34:34):
I love it.
I love it and, to be fair, thisis why we're doing the summit
also because there are somemoments that are challenging.
So we want to show women thatthey don't have to be in this
little boat alone in the middleof the ocean, that there's
support for them.
Janice (34:49):
Right, I think you offer supplements too.
Did I see that on your website,or is that some other company?
Annie (34:56):
Yeah, so I recommend supplements for women at midlife
, but I do not necessarilyrepresent a brand.
But I will recommend someprofessional brands that I trust
, but I don't have any profit indoing so.
Janice (35:12):
Well, that makes people feel better.
I think it's not a sales pitchfor that.
So I think that I would bereally comfortable in listening
to what you say about a product.
Annie (35:23):
Yeah, that's one of the reasons why I don't affiliate
myself.
There are some products that Iuse and when people say, oh
Annie, what do you use for this?
And I'll say, well, this iswhat I use, and if you want some
, I can order some for you.
But I'm not trying to build amulti-level marketing business
from this, right?
Janice (35:43):
Yeah, a few minutes ago you mentioned that you have a
plan each day or you havecertain things that you do.
Do you exercise every day?
Do you do it three days a week?
Are you flexible with that, ordo you really try to stay on a
plan?
It sounds like you're aplanning person.
Annie (36:01):
Yes, yes, yes, absolutely .
Well, you know I was mentioninghow I exercise, mostly for
mental health reasons.
There was a lot of mentalillnesses in my family growing
up and I think that exercise hasalways been one of my tools to
clear my mind and stay focused.
So movement is every day.
(36:21):
So movement is every day.
Now, yesterday here it wasraining, cats and dogs and I
just did some little lightmovement, some little yoga
things, actually to stretch mylegs in the house.
I did not feel that it wasenough.
Normally.
I really need to get out and domovement every day and a lot of
(36:42):
that health journey is a habit.
Just like we eat breakfast,lunch and dinner and we don't
overthink it.
Same thing for me now.
I'll be like, no, it's time formy run or it's time for my
workout and I'm just going tomake it happen.
Janice (36:56):
Okay, and I would encourage listeners to look into
different facilities if theywant to exercise in a community
versus being by themselves,because sometimes you're
inspired by other people.
There are so many opportunities.
One of the senior citizencenters up the road from me.
They offer everything andpeople attend everything from
(37:19):
dance to Tai Chi to yoga to justgeneral exercise movement.
And if you are a person who'son Medicare right now, many of
the Advantage programs will payfor a gym membership.
Fantastic, yeah, that's here inthe US.
So if you want to take part ingroup activity, there's a lot
(37:43):
out there for you to look intoand to take part in.
I'm in a very small town, butthere's a lot going on.
Annie (37:51):
Yeah, you know, I think that what's beautiful is that it
doesn't matter the size of thecommunity that you live in.
There are always some thingsthat are organized, that if you
like to hike, if you like towalk, if you want to join a
dance program, something thatwill fit your liking, and all I
(38:12):
say is, whatever you like to do,go and do that, and being in
community of people will keepyou motivated.
There's some days you're goingto be like oh, I don't really
feel like driving to thecommunity center, but you know
my friends are waiting for meand I know they'll give me heck
if I don't really feel likedriving to the community center.
But you know my friends arewaiting for me and I know
they'll give me heck if I don'tshow up.
So it's another beautiful wayto stay accountable, right.
Janice (38:34):
So I would say, look into that if you feel alone,
because one of the things wementioned in the last podcast
was loneliness is becoming thenew smoking epidemic.
Annie (38:45):
Yeah, very, very dangerous, and we talked about
it just a tiny bit earlier aswell.
So the more you can have thesegroups, these little mini
communities, they will reallyhelp you.
You can have many of theselittle communities as well to
just help you be grounded andsupported.
Janice (39:05):
One more thing I want to bring up.
Do you have any thoughts onusing different types of
movement?
You know you might be a runner,but what about yoga alongside
that, or different things?
What's the benefits or does itmatter?
Annie (39:23):
It's a great question.
Officially, there's fourdifferent types of movement and
we want to include them all.
There's cardio, which we're allfamiliar with, which is running
and I was like a one trickmonkey for years right, that's
all I did and eventually catchesup to you.
So cardiovascular activity.
So the heart beats a lot harder.
That's the primary benefit.
(39:44):
The second one is strengthtraining, and then we think
dumbbells and pushing andlifting and all that.
One of women's best friends isstrength training, Really good
for our bones which are at risk.
Very good for maintainingmuscle mass, because muscle mass
diminishes with each decade.
So strength training is superimportant.
(40:06):
The third one which getsforgotten is flexibility.
Enter yoga.
So good, so good.
Stretching is so important,especially as we want to have
the movement reach with theyears and it will keep us from
having injuries.
So it's great to preventinjuries.
So that was the third oneflexibility.
(40:27):
And the fourth one is balance,and this is really important
because we often hear of peoplehaving injuries, especially in
the winter, in parts of theworld where there's ice.
Balance is one of those thingsthat we take for granted until
it's gone.
Janice (40:47):
So really important for us, as we age, to be looking at
all of these four dimensionscardio strength, flexibility and
balance thinking about, likeyou said, being a one trick pony
oh, I'll work on this or I'llwork on that, but not
(41:08):
incorporate them together andthink of ways that I could make
sure I'm touching each of thoseareas in my life.
Annie (41:12):
Yes, exactly Right, and yoga is good for both that
flexibility and balance as well.
If we feel that we arechallenged, that means that we
need it.
So that's good information tohave.
Janice (41:24):
Okay, is there anything you'd like to say that we
haven't covered today, or anywords of encouragement you'd
like to offer?
Annie (41:33):
to the listeners.
You know, health is not justone thing.
Everything is connected yourmental health, your emotional
health, your physical health.
So when you make a step in aright direction in terms of a
healthy habit, you're actuallycontributing to you as a total
(41:53):
person your health in your headand your heart and your whole
body.
So start small and you will beamazed by how much progress you
can make with just even somesmall little changes.
Janice (42:10):
I'm sold.
Yes, for those of you who can'tsee Annie, she's clapping right
now.
Annie (42:16):
I'm excited Yay.
Janice (42:19):
Okay, unfortunately, we've run out of time and we got
to close, but I want to thankyou all for tuning in to today's
episode and remember, if youwant to delve deeper into
Annie's insights or her upcomingevents and nutrition tips,
visit her website at veveca.
And that's V as in Victor, e-e,v as in Victor, dot C-A, and
(42:43):
you're going to find a treasuretrove of resources there to help
you stay informed and inspiredwith regard to your health.
And I would also say you cancome to our website, and Annie
will have a page there and thatwill give you information on how
to contact her if you'reinterested in working with Annie
and I'm very interested, so Ihope all of you will be too and
(43:03):
I'm very interested, so I hopeall of you will be too and I
want to thank you for listeningto today's podcast.
Stay connected with us onFacebook and Instagram for more
updates, and don't forget toexplore our website,
restless2renewcom, where you candiscover stories of other women
on a journey to connect, findfulfillment and happiness, and
(43:25):
we look forward to continuingthis journey with you.
And I'm going to close withthis quote a woman's health is
her capital, and that waswritten by Harriet Beecher Stowe
.
So, annie, thank you again.
Thank you, Janice, you're verywelcome and everyone, take care
and don't forget to join usagain next time.
Welcome to Restless, to Renewed Women, Redefining
Midlife and Beyond.
I'm your host, Janice Neely,and today we have a special
guest joining us from Toronto,Canada.
Annie Gaudreault is not just anutritionist and a health coach,
but also a passionate speakerdedicated to empowering women in
their journey towards wellness.
Join us as Annie shares herinsights, experiences and wisdom
(00:37):
on navigating midlife withvitality and purpose.
Welcome, Annie.
Annie (00:43):
Thank you so much for having me.
Janice (00:49):
We're happy to have you here today and I think everyone
listening will enjoy.
The topic and it's somethingthat's always on our mind is
health and nutrition, although Ihave to say I'm not the person
that people would probably wantto follow.
But I will tell everyone thatyou're going to want to hear
what Annie has decided.
So if you're interested inimproving your health, so let's
just get started.
And what inspired you to becomea nutritionist and a wellness
(01:12):
coach?
Annie (01:13):
Yeah, that's actually an interesting story because my
first career was not at all inthe health wellness world.
I was a brand consultant and Iwas what they call on the side
people who are weekend warriors,you know.
You do all these differenttypes of challenges and I became
(01:34):
quite an avid runner and it ledme to coaching, marathoning and
specifically women, and that'swhen I discovered that I just
loved that world.
But it took me a number ofyears to figure out what am I
going to do with this, rightLike?
I'm not a professional, I'm notan Olympian, I don't have that
(01:56):
big level of notoriety.
So I decided to go back toschool and a really good fit was
to become a nutritionist sothat I could marry that with my
background as an enduranceathlete.
Janice (02:11):
So what is your coaching philosophy and approach to
nutrition and health?
Annie (02:17):
I think that one of the things that I like to say is
that there is no one size fitsall.
Each woman, each of us aredifferent, so we cannot just
have one little cookie cutterplan for everybody.
Oh, everybody should be this,or everybody should be a
vegetarian.
You know, there is no suchthing.
So I think that it's reallyabout embracing our differences
(02:41):
and then listening to what isgoing on with us, so that we can
provide you with something thatis custom and makes sense for
you.
Janice (02:52):
I like that because I think that a lot of us will see
things on TV and they make theseblanket statements about this
is the cure or this is the beall, end all, and everybody's
makeup is different, as you justsaid, and I like the idea of
someone who works with youpersonally and figures it out
alongside you instead of justtelling you here do it this way
(03:14):
and move on.
The program here is for womenmidlife and beyond, and I know
you work with women in midlife.
I'm sure some of what you willsay today will also be
appropriate for women who arebeyond midlife and maybe in
their 70s, 80s, whatever.
So what are some of the commonhealth challenges you see in
older women?
Annie (03:36):
Well, I think that one of the things that we see is that
our bodies are changing frommenopause and suddenly we're
like what is going on and whatis happening to my body?
What I used to do no longerworks, or I'm having sleep
issues and now my nutrition is alittle bit off and I'm gaining
(03:58):
weight.
These are very common thingsthat we see for women at midlife
common things that we see forwomen at midlife.
Janice (04:08):
You know, one of the things that I think I find with
myself is I will talk myself outof being healthy.
Now, that may sound ridiculousto some people, but as I get
older, I keep thinking oh why,why try?
So that's where I think thetailored work that you do with
each person would be helpful.
Absolutely Right.
Annie (04:27):
Think about it, our backgrounds, what's going on in
our lives.
You know, I'll tell you a story.
This is really fascinating.
So often women will say I justdon't like exercising.
Right, and this is a verycommon thing.
I don't want to get all sweatyand I hate the whole feeling of
it, and so on.
But often what's happening iswhen we start to peel the layers
(04:48):
of what's underneath.
That is, that a lot of us wereshamed in school because we
couldn't do these exercises thateverybody else seemed to be
able to be good at.
We're asked to do pull-ups andall kinds of things and a lot of
us did not fit the mold.
Like I know, I was a terriblyuncoordinated kid.
(05:09):
I was never picked for anysports whatsoever and it made me
think that I was not good atsports and that's a shame
because you know it can staywith us our entire lives.
So this is just to say oftenwhat happens is that once we
start peeling the layers ofwhat's at the root cause of us
feeling this way, we canactually kind of see hey, you
(05:31):
know what?
That doesn't apply anymore.
And that may have been truewhen I was eight years old, but
I'm now 58.
And you know I actually likewalking, I like hiking, maybe I
like tennis, it doesn't matter.
So we start to look at what isbehind all of this and it really
(05:53):
helps women see that this is nolonger something that they have
to worry about well, I wouldn'tsay that, and with me I'm
asking for an impromptu therapysession.
Janice (06:06):
sounds like let's do it.
I think I'm just lazy.
I get so engrossed in all myother work and I think I'll do
that later.
It never becomes a priority.
Annie (06:20):
And you know that's the truth, Like when we say I don't
have time, I don't have theenergy.
Often, basically, what we sayis this is not a priority for me
.
So I try to work with women sothat they see that this is your
capital to work with and youcannot buy health in a pill.
It can buy relief in a pill,but you don't buy overall health
(06:43):
.
Janice (06:43):
I love that I'm going to have to remember that you can
buy relief but not health.
That is perfect, and and I youknow, I watch all these programs
at night and they're talkingabout this medication and that
medication, and I think the sideeffects are much more worse
often than the actual problemthat you have, and so
alternative methods, instead ofjust going to the doctor, seem
(07:11):
appropriate or are appropriate.
I think we just kind of talkedabout the specific needs of
women who are perimenopausal,menopausal and postmenopausal.
Are there differences in howyou work with these women in
these different stages?
Annie (07:20):
Yeah, because the needs of the body are very different
when you are at perimenopause sojust preparing to enter
menopause and there's a lot offluctuations to, of course,
being postmenopausal, where nowestrogen levels have dropped and
we know what we're dealing with.
You know the exercisedifferently.
(07:42):
You may want to also reallysupport the woman differently in
terms of diet, whether it'sperimenopause through
postmenopause.
Now there are some broadstrokes that are common making
sure that we eat enough protein,we need enough fiber, that
we're really focusing on somehealthy fats, especially as we
(08:04):
think about cognitive health.
It's a big focus of older women.
You know dementia, alzheimer's,very scary diseases and it
affects women three times morethan men.
So we do need to focus on it.
So we really tailor thenutrition and the movement to be
different, especially for olderwomen.
(08:27):
But it's a great time to start.
If you are listening to thisand you are 45, most likely in
perimenopause, this is the timeto make some strong roots so
that you get through menopauseas smoothly as possible and
everyone's journey will bedifferent, but also it will set
you up for success.
You know, janice, this is aninteresting statistic.
(08:48):
Actually, the average woman has33 years to live after natural
menopause.
Like 33 years.
That's some awesome time for usto live our lives.
Janice (09:03):
That just came to my mind actually when we were
talking, because I was thinkingabout one of the first programs
we do when Robin and I weredoing it was how much time we
have to do different things withour lives.
But if you don't feel good, youknow what good is having that
time.
One of the ladies that was onthe program has a place for
people to bring their familymembers in for dementia respite
(09:27):
and it's just a short programduring the day 10 to 2.
But I went down and visited andI was expecting very, very
elderly people.
There were some, but there werewomen younger than me and I was
shocked.
And so I'm not saying we cancure dementia or anything with
proper nutrition, but what doesit hurt to try?
Annie (09:49):
Absolutely, and science is very clear.
There's a really famous medicaljournal called the Lancet, and
the Lancet published an articlethat said that a third of all
dementia cases are preventable.
A third, you're kidding Right.
Preventable, so preventable.
A third, you're kidding Right.
Preventable, so preventablemeans lifestyle strategies.
(10:09):
What does lifestyle strategymean?
Janice (10:12):
Nutrition, environment, sleep, movement all of those
things Interesting, because Ithought it was almost something
that you inherited, which I'msure there are components to
that, but the l Lancet isextremely well-recognized
journal.
Annie (10:31):
Yeah, this is not social media.
Whomever wants to say whateverthey want to say.
This is really solidinformation, and in that article
they were saying a third iswhat we believe is preventable
today, but we know that overtime it's going to be larger
than a third.
That is preventable.
So to me that's really excitingfor women because it means it
(10:56):
gives us our power back.
We can actually have agencyover the outcome of our lives
over the outcome of our lives.
Janice (11:09):
I really like your enthusiasm about it because the
positivity is so helpful tosomeone like me who thinks it's
inevitable.
So again, why worry about it?
Just live my life.
But maybe it isn't inevitablethat these changes happen or
escalated.
Let's put it that way.
Yeah, do you have any dietaryrecommendations for women once
they've reached midlife?
Is there anything special?
Annie (11:30):
Yes, actually, this is really important now to pay
attention to increasing ourprotein, to increasing our
vegetables and our fruit,because we want more fiber.
So we want to make sure thatwe're doing that.
And then we want to payattention to our fats, and you
know, a lot of us grew up withthe low fat diets, which really
(11:54):
messed up everyone's dietultimately, and we were told to
have margarine and lay off thebutter and a lot of misguided
information.
So now what we want to makesure is that we go back to these
very healthy fats, the onesthat we know are proven to
protect the brain, to alsoprotect our heart.
Right, they're what we callanti-inflammatory fats.
(12:17):
So olive oil, avocado, the fatsthat are in nuts, for example.
Those are the three broadstrokes the protein, more fiber
with the vegetables, the fruit,and healthy fats.
Janice (12:33):
I know my mom is 85 and I've spoken about her before on
the show but she walks threemiles every morning.
She's saying she might cut itdown to two, but a couple of
years ago she decided she wasgoing to lose weight and she
lost about 40 pounds.
Wow, and the way she did thatwas a combination of walking,
but she increased her fat intakeand some of the things she did.
(12:55):
I was thinking that'scounterintuitive, like you said,
to everything that she waseating butter like crazy.
But her cholesterol has gonedown and her blood pressure.
Now, part of that's the weightloss.
But I think there are peoplethat have high blood pressure,
that are thin.
Annie (13:12):
Yes, the size of a person is not the full story of
representation of health.
It's like looking at a book andgoing, oh, you know, I'm going
to judge this book by its cover.
Looking at a book and going, oh, you know, I'm going to judge
this book by its cover.
There's a lot of unhealthy leanpeople and there's a lot of
(13:34):
healthy people who, on theoutside, seem like they're
carrying extra weight.
So we have to be very careful.
We cannot judge somebody'shealth like that.
Okay, how do?
Janice (13:39):
you address mental health and emotional well-being
in your coaching?
How do you address mentalhealth and emotional well-being
in your coaching?
Annie (13:45):
You know, this is such an important thing, janice.
It's underlooked because thisbecomes very topical as we get
to midlife, because estrogenactually protects the brain and
also protected our mental health.
So a lot of women start tosuffer from anxiety and
(14:05):
depression, even massive moodswings like irritability and
anger, and a lot of women arelike oh my God, I'm losing my
mind, what is happening to me?
I hate everything, I hate mylife, and we think there's
something wrong with us andthere's nothing wrong with us.
(14:25):
So that's the first thing.
What we need to realize is thebrain is now missing some of its
estrogen and is having tore-stabilize, and it takes time
for this to happen.
So we need to address it bydoing a number of things.
We need to protect our sleep,we need to protect our time to
(14:46):
recharge our batteries.
I used to be one of thosepeople who were like I'll do
that when I'm like 90.
I don't have time for this.
I got to be producing.
In North America, we are allabout hard work, workaholic, we
promote that, and so a lot ofwomen are very much at risk for
their mental health to reallytake a big, big hit.
(15:08):
So we deal with it by makingsure that we've got our
priorities straight.
Self-care is not like going tothe spa you can go to the spa,
that's nice, but we're talkingabout so much more fundamental
work every day and every week tomake sure that we're taking
care of ourselves.
Janice (15:27):
Yeah, I like that interpretation of self-care.
I think a lot of people thatI've known feel like we've got
to go ahead and do all the otherthings and I'll get to me when
I can.
Yeah, and then you break down.
Annie (15:41):
Yes, and this is why we see the prescription of sleeping
pills is double digits on therise.
This is also why we see doubledigits on the rise of depression
and anxiety medications, andI'm not saying that those meds
are not helpful for some peopleat times, but what I'm saying is
the pill doesn't replace havinggood mental, emotional and
(16:04):
physical hygiene.
Janice (16:07):
Can you share some success stories from your
clients One, two or however manyyou'd like to tell us about?
Annie (16:13):
Yeah, you know, there's one client and she came to me a
successful leadership coach andmom of four, you know, really
busy.
Only one at the time had leftthe nest.
The others were still highschool and middle school and she
had gained a lot of weight andhad a bit of a back injury that
(16:36):
had also prevented her fromdoing some movement for quite a
long time, and all the hormonalstuff that we hear about.
And when we finished ourjourney together and we were
speaking, what was incredible isshe said to me, you know, Annie
, when we got introduced I hadalmost given up on myself.
(16:59):
It really gets to me profoundlybecause she obviously gave a
lot to her family and obviouslygave a lot to her clients, but
her cup was empty and shethought there's no option for me
, there's no future here, and itwas so profound to hear her say
(17:20):
that.
So we got her back on track withpriority around the movement,
which helped her mental health,and that also made her start to
make better choices with hernutrition.
So it's a domino effect when westart, and what's really
beautiful about that is thatwhen women make these changes,
(17:42):
janice, it's like the pebblethat falls into the water.
It ripples through the family,so the family's healthier.
We become great examples.
We need to lead by example, sothat's probably one of my
favorite stories to share.
Janice (18:01):
Well, that's a nice story, and I identify with so
much of what you're saying.
I'm sure a lot of listenerswill identify with this, because
we see roadblocks in front ofus and they may or may not be
real, but in our minds they'rereal, and so to have someone
walk you through it, and that'swhat.
Annie (18:30):
Because it is hard, it is not easy, right, we need to be
supported so that we aresuccessful in making these
changes.
Janice (18:39):
And so many people, including myself at times, try
to go things alone and think Ican do this.
I don't need any help.
It's just my own weakness.
If I just pull my bootstraps up, I'll be better, yep, and
there's no accountability.
So it always happens next week,but it doesn't happen.
It's going to happen next week,but it doesn't happen.
Annie (19:01):
Exactly, exactly.
And then we look at our phoneand we go oh, I just saw
something on Instagram, I'mgoing to try it Right.
Oh, and Susie, over here, shesaid that you know that eating
three bowls of kale every dayreally helped her.
It's not founded in any scienceand it's not founded in
anything that is customized foryou, so you're bound to fail.
Janice (19:24):
Yeah, I remember seeing these different charts of if
you're built like an apple or ifyou're built like a pear, this
is how you should eat, and allthat.
I don't know if any of that'sworthy of reading about, but you
know, there's so many peopleout there telling you this is
the answer.
And again, it's not tailored,it's just their generalizations.
Annie (19:44):
Yeah, exactly, and sometimes there's a bit of a
kernel at the bottom.
It's a bit like a pyramid.
The foundation sometimes can betrue, but then we need to
refine and make this morespecific for you, so got to be
very careful about like this isthe answer for everyone.
This is what I do day in, dayout, and I know that it is not
(20:04):
possible to be successful thatway.
Janice (20:06):
Okay, I would agree, as I've had so many missteps.
I have a lady that was on theprogram.
She does yoga and her name'sLeslie.
Leslie says Janice, I'm sendingyou my video for my yoga class
and I see you're not doing itand I go, I will, I will, and
I'm so embarrassed, I'membarrassed, oh my.
(20:30):
What are some misconceptionsabout aging and health that you
often encounter?
Annie (20:35):
There are so many.
I'm so glad you're asking thatquestion because it is such an
issue.
We live in North America in anageist world, so we have in the
back of our brain beliefs aroundaging that absolutely have
nothing to do with reality.
(20:55):
But we were told since we wereyoung oh, be careful, it's an
old lady, be careful, thatperson is frail.
Assuming that because you'reold, you're frail.
We have this idea that gettingolder is bad, because look at
all the anti-aging business outthere.
It makes me crazy.
I normally curse when I talkabout this I'm going to keep
(21:18):
this clean but it makes mereally angry, thank you.
It makes me so angry because weare hurting women and we're
hurting men by thinking thatthere's some shame about aging.
So our mindset about aging isso powerful, janice, that there
is a PhD in the US.
(21:38):
She did a big study and shelaunched her book during the
pandemic.
Her name is Becca Levy.
She's a sociologist and shestudied older people and what
she was able to substantiate isthat your mindset about aging so
whether you think aging is apositive thing and aging is a
(21:59):
time of opportunity, et cetera,et cetera, whether you were
thinking positive or negative,will add to your life.
7.5 years, wow, it's almost adecade we're talking about here,
and that's an average.
So there's some people who arereally higher up.
So a lot of what I encounter iswomen saying well, you know, I
(22:22):
have a high blood pressure,isn't that just because I'm
getting old and I'm like?
No, it is a result of you beinginactive.
Let's look at your diet.
It's perhaps a result of someof your habits.
So not everything is about theresult of aging, but this is
what we say in order to go ohwell, you know, it's not my
(22:43):
fault, I'm just getting old.
Are some things that arenatural process of aging?
We're going to get wrinkles,they don't.
Some of the skin texturechanges.
However, our ability to remainstrong, healthy is in our power.
Janice (23:12):
I like what you said about the mindset, because I
thought about this image onetime and it was asking people
how do you see your life?
And one would be an image ofpeaking at 40 and then going
downhill.
One would be going downhill thewhole time and then one would
be I'm always reaching forsomething else, and so you're
always going up.
And if I could get that in myhead I'm always moving up, I'm
(23:33):
not going downhill, I love it,it's just I'm always moving up,
I'm not going downhill, I loveit.
It's just change, but notnecessarily down Change means
exciting opportunities anddiscovery.
Annie (23:45):
And, janice, you're actually living what they preach
in terms of keep on doing newthings right Explore, of keep on
doing new things right Explore.
We have a lot of knowledgearound what it takes to age in a
very strong way and people justare not aware because we are
too busy telling people that'sjust a normal thing because
(24:07):
you're getting old, oh, we'rejust going to give you a blood
pressure pill, we're just goingto give you a cholesterol pill,
and sometimes, of course, thesethings are important.
But you know, when we thinkabout the real epidemic that we
have in the world, it's diabetesby far.
It damages so much and I knowthat we have some products that
(24:28):
are helping and I'm talkingabout diabetes type two here,
just to be clear, not diabetestype one, which is an autoimmune
disease.
Type 2, which is a lifestyledisease, and there's so much
that we can do to help people.
So when I hear, well, it's justnormal because I'm getting
older, I say no, that's a lie,that's actually a lie.
Janice (24:49):
Those are misconceptions .
Those are some.
So if you were to flip thescript and give some
recommendations to help somebodystay motivated and not buy into
that, oh, you're just gettingold mentality.
What would you say to them?
Annie (25:08):
One thing that is really exciting is science is on your
side, so we know that we can agewith so much vitality.
The other thing that I like toremind people we were just
talking about that whole 33years Women live up to, on
average, 84 years, men 81.
I remind people, think aboutall the things that you want to
do that are on that so-calledbucket list.
(25:31):
Here you are doing podcasting.
It could be I'm going to launchsomething else.
People want to travel.
They want to see theirgrandkids grow and enjoy that.
There's many, many things in ourlives.
Every single thing that youwant to do requires you to have
great health.
You want to travel.
(25:52):
You want to roll around in thegrass with grandkids.
It takes a lot of energy.
That energy is the essence oflife.
So I always say keep in mindthese beautiful goals that you
have of living your life andmaking these next decades the
most amazing ones, and that willhelp you stay on track with.
(26:15):
I'm going to go for that walkand I'm going to do that yoga
class that my friend sent meright, because I want to be able
to have a body that bends andmoves nicely.
It's not to win contests and togo to the Olympics, it's just
for us to have the quality oflife that we want.
Janice (26:32):
All Right, it all makes so much sense.
What role does social supportand community play in health and
wellness of women?
Annie (26:46):
I think this is where women excel over men.
We know from studies that beingwell supported by a community
of like-minded women will keepus on track.
The women that will also tellus when we are doing a little
(27:10):
bit of nonsense, they'll call usout on that nonsense and
they'll be be like hey, annie,you said a year ago you wanted
to do this, and suddenly you'resaying what's happening here?
These communities are gold forour health, right, they fill our
cup, they fill our soul, theykeep us honest, they keep us on
(27:30):
track.
So I always say a coach isreally important, but make sure
that you're surrounded by peoplewho also share your values.
Janice (27:41):
And we're trying to achieve some of that with
Restless, to Renewed and helpingwomen feel like they have a
support system and sometimes atouchstone, just someplace to go
and just gas up again.
Annie (27:56):
Yes, yeah, and you know, I think it's really great that
you talk about that and what youhave created because loneliness
is real in our society, aboutthat and what you have created
because loneliness is real inour society.
We don't talk about it becausewe're a bit ashamed to admit.
I always say, if you own yourown businesses, oh my God, talk
about feeling lonely.
It's tough, it's really tough.
(28:18):
It can feel very lonely attimes.
So I think that what you'redoing is definitely a touchstone
and, for some people, a very,very important place for them to
be seen and to be heard.
So for everyone listening tothis podcast, I say please join
and surround yourself with manywonderful women who will
(28:43):
definitely help you feel betterand stronger, right, we?
Janice (28:49):
teach each other that we count and that we're here for a
reason and we're not just aplaceholder in life now.
Annie (28:57):
Yeah, you're talking about deep human values.
Janice (29:00):
Exactly.
There's plenty of otherpodcasts about other things, but
right here I want it to be alearning experience and
something where people can comeand feel comforted and some joy
and happiness Love it.
How do you stay updated on thelatest research and trends in
health and wellness for women?
Annie (29:20):
This is almost a full-time job, janice, but what
helps is that I am a total nerd,so I'm always reading a book,
I'm always listening to apodcast and, honestly, if you're
going to be serious about beingin the health and wellness
world, you must commit yourselfto ongoing learning.
So I build it in my day-to-daylife, just like movement.
(29:41):
I have to do it every day, alot more for mental health
reasons for me than physicalreasons, but I read or I'll
listen to a workshop that otherprofessionals are giving,
because it is such a big worldof health and wellness and I
need to do that to serve myclients at the best of my
(30:02):
abilities.
Janice (30:03):
So it sounds like you use technology to learn, do you
use it in your practice also?
Annie (30:08):
Yes, actually, the way that I set up the business was
100% virtual, and why I did thatwas that right now you see me
and the background is nature andall that.
That's not my regular home.
I'm up north right now, acouple of hours north of Toronto
beautiful lake area, and Iwanted to be able to have the
(30:29):
flexibility.
So thank goodness for all thatamazing technology.
It allows me to be tracking myclients and making sure the
accountability is there, and Iuse many of those tools to stay
current.
Janice (30:45):
You have a company and it's Vive, and it's spelled for
listeners.
It's V, as in Victor, e-e, v asin Victor, vive.
What is Vive?
Annie (30:57):
Well, you know, my background is French, canadian,
and there's a French expressionthat says joie de vivre, the joy
of living.
So vive was a bit of a play onword with that, because this
company, which is essentially ahealth coaching practice either
private coaching or groupprograms is all about giving
(31:19):
women that joy of living intheir bodies, in a way that
they're happy and that they havefreedom and that they feel
empowered.
Janice (31:30):
How long have you been in business?
Has it been several years?
Annie (31:34):
Yeah, it's been almost seven years now and I never
thought I would be here today.
It's been an amazing journey.
Janice (31:43):
Your clients find you through different, I'm sure,
marketing efforts, but I noticedtoo that you have something
coming up.
Yes, it's called the MenopauseEmpowerment Summit Boy.
That sounds counter menopauseempowerment.
Annie (32:01):
I know right, I want to make sure that women get some
good stuff there.
I know right, I want to makesure that women got some good
stuff there.
Well, you know, people find meusually through either word of
mouth or they've heard me on apodcast, they've heard me speak
somewhere.
So I do a lot of speakingvirtual and in person, and
that's when they go.
You know, I need what you haveto deliver here and this is why
(32:25):
I created this summit, because Isee that so many women find
this midlife time to be doom andgloom and I want to show them
that it doesn't have to be thatway and I want to give them the
tools, because everyone's goingto be different, not one size
(32:45):
fits all Again, that theme.
So this is a two-day, july 23rdand July 24th online, so
anybody can join from anywhere,and it's 6 to 9 pm and it's free
, or there's also a VIP option,but you can join us for free and
you get gifts.
It's not just me, it's alsoguest experts because, as we
(33:10):
said, health and wellness is sobig.
We're going to be tackling thebig stuff the hormones, the
supplements, what diet if youwant to lose weight, if you have
cholesterol, if you're dealingwith this like the big common
things that we see at menopause,and then we're going to be
talking about the mental aspectof this transition, because
(33:30):
menopause is this bigopportunity for transition into
the next stage, and we're evengoing to have a stylist who is
going to give us tips to dressso that we feel comfortable even
though our body shape might bechanging.
So it's going to be the wholegamut over those two days.
Janice (33:53):
It's so funny because when we talk about menopause
it's always been so negative.
The language, even the word, tome, just sounds icky sometimes
because of the way women talkedabout it.
Well, and yeah, women didn'ttalk about it, they were
committing a crime, you know.
But years ago I worked in anoffice and there were several of
(34:14):
us that were older than therest of the women, yep, and we
were talking.
One day we got those yellowstrips that you bring out at a
crime scene, wrapped it aroundour area and said enter at your
own risk, you're crossing themenopausal line.
We got by with it.
Annie (34:34):
I love it.
I love it and, to be fair, thisis why we're doing the summit
also because there are somemoments that are challenging.
So we want to show women thatthey don't have to be in this
little boat alone in the middleof the ocean, that there's
support for them.
Janice (34:49):
Right, I think you offer supplements too.
Did I see that on your website,or is that some other company?
Annie (34:56):
Yeah, so I recommend supplements for women at midlife
, but I do not necessarilyrepresent a brand.
But I will recommend someprofessional brands that I trust
, but I don't have any profit indoing so.
Janice (35:12):
Well, that makes people feel better.
I think it's not a sales pitchfor that.
So I think that I would bereally comfortable in listening
to what you say about a product.
Annie (35:23):
Yeah, that's one of the reasons why I don't affiliate
myself.
There are some products that Iuse and when people say, oh
Annie, what do you use for this?
And I'll say, well, this iswhat I use, and if you want some
, I can order some for you.
But I'm not trying to build amulti-level marketing business
from this, right?
Janice (35:43):
Yeah, a few minutes ago you mentioned that you have a
plan each day or you havecertain things that you do.
Do you exercise every day?
Do you do it three days a week?
Are you flexible with that, ordo you really try to stay on a
plan?
It sounds like you're aplanning person.
Annie (36:01):
Yes, yes, yes, absolutely .
Well, you know I was mentioninghow I exercise, mostly for
mental health reasons.
There was a lot of mentalillnesses in my family growing
up and I think that exercise hasalways been one of my tools to
clear my mind and stay focused.
So movement is every day.
(36:21):
So movement is every day.
Now, yesterday here it wasraining, cats and dogs and I
just did some little lightmovement, some little yoga
things, actually to stretch mylegs in the house.
I did not feel that it wasenough.
Normally.
I really need to get out and domovement every day and a lot of
(36:42):
that health journey is a habit.
Just like we eat breakfast,lunch and dinner and we don't
overthink it.
Same thing for me now.
I'll be like, no, it's time formy run or it's time for my
workout and I'm just going tomake it happen.
Janice (36:56):
Okay, and I would encourage listeners to look into
different facilities if theywant to exercise in a community
versus being by themselves,because sometimes you're
inspired by other people.
There are so many opportunities.
One of the senior citizencenters up the road from me.
They offer everything andpeople attend everything from
(37:19):
dance to Tai Chi to yoga to justgeneral exercise movement.
And if you are a person who'son Medicare right now, many of
the Advantage programs will payfor a gym membership.
Fantastic, yeah, that's here inthe US.
So if you want to take part ingroup activity, there's a lot
(37:43):
out there for you to look intoand to take part in.
I'm in a very small town, butthere's a lot going on.
Annie (37:51):
Yeah, you know, I think that what's beautiful is that it
doesn't matter the size of thecommunity that you live in.
There are always some thingsthat are organized, that if you
like to hike, if you like towalk, if you want to join a
dance program, something thatwill fit your liking, and all I
(38:12):
say is, whatever you like to do,go and do that, and being in
community of people will keepyou motivated.
There's some days you're goingto be like oh, I don't really
feel like driving to thecommunity center, but you know
my friends are waiting for meand I know they'll give me heck
if I don't really feel likedriving to the community center.
But you know my friends arewaiting for me and I know
they'll give me heck if I don'tshow up.
So it's another beautiful wayto stay accountable, right.
Janice (38:34):
So I would say, look into that if you feel alone,
because one of the things wementioned in the last podcast
was loneliness is becoming thenew smoking epidemic.
Annie (38:45):
Yeah, very, very dangerous, and we talked about
it just a tiny bit earlier aswell.
So the more you can have thesegroups, these little mini
communities, they will reallyhelp you.
You can have many of theselittle communities as well to
just help you be grounded andsupported.
Janice (39:05):
One more thing I want to bring up.
Do you have any thoughts onusing different types of
movement?
You know you might be a runner,but what about yoga alongside
that, or different things?
What's the benefits or does itmatter?
Annie (39:23):
It's a great question.
Officially, there's fourdifferent types of movement and
we want to include them all.
There's cardio, which we're allfamiliar with, which is running
and I was like a one trickmonkey for years right, that's
all I did and eventually catchesup to you.
So cardiovascular activity.
So the heart beats a lot harder.
That's the primary benefit.
(39:44):
The second one is strengthtraining, and then we think
dumbbells and pushing andlifting and all that.
One of women's best friends isstrength training, Really good
for our bones which are at risk.
Very good for maintainingmuscle mass, because muscle mass
diminishes with each decade.
So strength training is superimportant.
(40:06):
The third one which getsforgotten is flexibility.
Enter yoga.
So good, so good.
Stretching is so important,especially as we want to have
the movement reach with theyears and it will keep us from
having injuries.
So it's great to preventinjuries.
So that was the third oneflexibility.
(40:27):
And the fourth one is balance,and this is really important
because we often hear of peoplehaving injuries, especially in
the winter, in parts of theworld where there's ice.
Balance is one of those thingsthat we take for granted until
it's gone.
Janice (40:47):
So really important for us, as we age, to be looking at
all of these four dimensionscardio strength, flexibility and
balance thinking about, likeyou said, being a one trick pony
oh, I'll work on this or I'llwork on that, but not
(41:08):
incorporate them together andthink of ways that I could make
sure I'm touching each of thoseareas in my life.
Annie (41:12):
Yes, exactly Right, and yoga is good for both that
flexibility and balance as well.
If we feel that we arechallenged, that means that we
need it.
So that's good information tohave.
Janice (41:24):
Okay, is there anything you'd like to say that we
haven't covered today, or anywords of encouragement you'd
like to offer?
Annie (41:33):
to the listeners.
You know, health is not justone thing.
Everything is connected yourmental health, your emotional
health, your physical health.
So when you make a step in aright direction in terms of a
healthy habit, you're actuallycontributing to you as a total
(41:53):
person your health in your headand your heart and your whole
body.
So start small and you will beamazed by how much progress you
can make with just even somesmall little changes.
Janice (42:10):
I'm sold.
Yes, for those of you who can'tsee Annie, she's clapping right
now.
Annie (42:16):
I'm excited Yay.
Janice (42:19):
Okay, unfortunately, we've run out of time and we got
to close, but I want to thankyou all for tuning in to today's
episode and remember, if youwant to delve deeper into
Annie's insights or her upcomingevents and nutrition tips,
visit her website at veveca.
And that's V as in Victor, e-e,v as in Victor, dot C-A, and
(42:43):
you're going to find a treasuretrove of resources there to help
you stay informed and inspiredwith regard to your health.
And I would also say you cancome to our website, and Annie
will have a page there and thatwill give you information on how
to contact her if you'reinterested in working with Annie
and I'm very interested, so Ihope all of you will be too and
(43:03):
I'm very interested, so I hopeall of you will be too and I
want to thank you for listeningto today's podcast.
Stay connected with us onFacebook and Instagram for more
updates, and don't forget toexplore our website,
restless2renewcom, where you candiscover stories of other women
on a journey to connect, findfulfillment and happiness, and
(43:25):
we look forward to continuingthis journey with you.
And I'm going to close withthis quote a woman's health is
her capital, and that waswritten by Harriet Beecher Stowe
.
So, annie, thank you again.
Thank you, Janice, you're verywelcome and everyone, take care
and don't forget to join usagain next time.
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