Self Care Simplified

Latest Episodes:

345. Stuck at a Desk? Tips for a Sore Back & Hips! Apr 12, 2024

Show notes

It’s no surprise that spending hours sitting at your desk can wreak havoc on your body. Back pain, hip discomfort, tight hamstrings, aching shoulders, neck pain - it can really make your daily life miserable.

Listener Carolyn has this very problem: Hi, Megan. I’m having some lower back issues and hip problems. What you would recommend for those of us stuck at a desk most of the day? Are there any particular types of desk chairs, booty pads that you sit on or the back support systems that you can put onto desk chairs? I'm just kind of wondering if I'm doing the right thing while I'm at work all day. Thanks so much.

If you find yourself in a situation like Carolyn, then you’re in the right place. In this quick episode I give you tips on how to adjust your work space to best support your body, and movements you can do at work to help you feel better at the end of the day.

💥Taking listener questions!!! Do you have a question about your self-care that you need help with? Just head to www.vigeofit.com/ask to submit your question, and I’ll answer it for you on an upcoming Friday episode.

More Resources

Suffering with Back & Hip pain? Check out Megan’s 30-Day Back & Hip Fix program

Episode 279. Easy Seated & Standing Stretches to Combat Sedentary Desk Jobs

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344. SIMPLE Nutrition Tips to Shape Up for Summer Apr 09, 2024

Show notes

It’s that time of year again! Winter is officially over, Easter is behind us, and we naturally start thinking about summer. The vacations! The adventures! The longer days and time outdoors!

However, those warm summer days can also bring up some dread. “Where’s my body at? Am I in as great of shape as I could be going into summer? Will I be able to do everything I want to do and feel really great doing it?”

If the thought of summertime brings up these questions, you’re in the right place.

For the next two weeks we’re going to dive into the Summer Shape-Up! No gimmicks. No extreme workouts or major diet plans. Just a solid road map to get you primed and ready for the summer months that are just around the corner.

This week is all about NUTRITION. Grab a pen and paper and get ready for my 3-step nutrition plan to feel trim, healthy & energetic for the summer. It’s simple, sustainable, and most importantly, it works!

Trust me, this is the solid plan you need to head into summer feeling good. In fact, share it with a friend who might want some guidance gearing up for the warmer months ahead!

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The Jumpstart 30 Program for Beginners - Spring Flash Sale!! Enter coupon code “344” at checkout to receive 20% off!!

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343. Train Smarter: How to WISELY Push Yourself Apr 05, 2024

Show notes

When it comes to working out, doing too much or too little is often tricky line to walk. How do you know when to push yourself? When should you take things easy?

That line becomes even more challenging when you’re dealing with an ongoing medical condition.

Listener Wendy asks: “Hey, Megan. I have a question regarding health conditions. I have been diagnosed with isotinomia, and my mom also has a medical condition called mycenia gravis. Two totally different things. But my question is just regarding how do we know what is too much when working out how much to push ourselves? How much is a good push and how much is a bad push? Thanks, Megan.”

In this shortie episode, we’ll talk about principle of “progressive overload” - what it is, why it works, and how you can make adjustments to accommodate your own health challenges.

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Need help getting started? Check out Megan’s Jumpstart 30 Program for Beginners

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342. Menopause Weight Gain Was Her Wake Up Call Apr 02, 2024

Show notes

See if this sounds familiar? You make pretty good food choices, and eat healthy-ish on and off, but don’t really focus on your nutrition. And then one day you wake up and realize things have changed, and suddenly your body is different. It holds weight differently, and in different places, and you’re battling new things like brain fog.

Julie spent years treating her food choices as an afterthought…eating relatively healthy here and there, but also growing up in the Slim Fast era and constantly battling a major sweet tooth.

It wasn’t until she started going through peri-menopause and put on a few pounds that she realized her nutrition needed a lot more of her attention.

In this week’s episode, we’re talking to Julie Gordon White, the founder and CEO of MenoWell, which creates energy & protein bars specially formulated for women in their menopause journey.

In this conversation, Julie shares her experience with perimenopause and the importance of nutrition during this stage of life. She discusses the symptoms she experienced, including cognitive fog and weight gain, and how these affected her professional life. Julie emphasizes the need to educate oneself about perimenopause and seek support from specialized healthcare providers. She highlights the importance of simplifying nutrition by focusing on whole foods, including protein and vegetables, and how she developed her nutritional bar and the role it plays in providing a convenient and nutritious option for busy women.

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Check out Julie and her nutrition bars at www.mymenowell.com (Use coupon code MEGANDAHLMAN at checkout to receive a discount!)

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FREE! - Download my free report on the Three Eating Dangers to Avoid to Reset Your Eating Habits

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341. Choosing a Protein Supplement - Is It Right for You? Mar 29, 2024

Show notes

Protein. The nutritional powerhouse that helps build muscle, stabilize blood sugar and keep you feeling full between meals. But sometimes getting the recommended amount of protein into your daily diet can feel challenging.

Enter protein powders - a seemingly simple quick fix to help fill the protein gap when you just can’t seem to get enough from food.

But which ones should you choose? Are some better than others?

Listener Marilyn wondered the same thing: “Hi, Megan. I was hoping you could give us some information on how to choose a good protein powder.”

In this shortie episode, I provide tips on how to incorporate protein powder into your day and how to choose the right one for you.

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340. EASY Strategy for Boosting (Peri-) Menopausal Metabolism Mar 26, 2024

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As we get older, and especially a we enter midlife, it can feel like our metabolism is decreasing while our mid-section is increasing. But that’s just what happens when we hit middle age - it’s inevitable, right?

What if I were to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way. And the solution is so much simpler than you might think!

Meet my friend Emily, who at 49-years-old was starting to see the number on the scale start creeping up. We discussed adjustments to her habits she could consider, but ultimately my advice was “if you’re only going to do one thing, this is what is should be.”

Wondering if it could work for you too?

Grab a pen and get ready for my number one piece of advice for revving up your metabolism and reversing your growing midsection. I’m going to introduce you to the concept of NEAT - non-exercise-activity-thermogenesis - and why it might be the closest thing to a Magic Bullet for boosting metabolism and preventing midlife weight gain.

More Resources & Links

Need help getting started! Get Megan’s FREE 5-Day Jumpstart Tips guide!

The Jumpstart 30 Program for Beginners

324. Menopausal Belly Fat & Why It’s Killing You

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(17)30602-X/fulltext

https://www.jadeteta.com/blog/female-belly-fat-stress-menopause-other-causes

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339. Balance Training? Avoid These Mistakes! Mar 22, 2024

Show notes

Have you ever started an exercise and realized pretty quickly that things were a little wobbly? What do you do when your balance won’t let you execute a movement the way you should?

Podcast listener Laura found herself in this very situation: “My question has to do with balance exercises. When your balance is not as good as it should be, is it best to try to keep muddling through? I’d love any recommendations you can give on achieving better balance. Thank you!”

In this shortie episode, we dive into the topic of BALANCE, and specifically what NOT to do as you’re working to improve your sense of balance.

More Resources

FREE! The Balance Masterclass

Episode 294. Easy Ways to Improve Your BALANCE & Prevent Falls

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338. Menopause: Could This ACTUALLY Be Your Window of Opportunity? Mar 19, 2024

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Menopause. Just the word can strike dread in the hearts of women of any age. It’s the beginning of the end! The time when things go haywire and your body starts to fall apart!

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Meet Donna Klassen, the CEO and co-founder of Let’s Talk Menopause, a national nonprofit organization that is invested in helping women get the information they need and the healthcare they deserve. She’s also a practicing therapist and licensed clinical social worker, and has her own remarkable story about her journey with menopause and cancer.

In this conversation, Donna talks about the need to change the conversation around menopause, emphasizing that it is not a time to be afraid of and that it's okay to talk about it. We discuss becoming your own advocate with your doctor, practicing self-compassion and acceptance, and the long-term health risks and opportunities women should keep in mind. And so much more!

Don’t miss today’s episode as we flip the menopause conversation on its head!

More Resources & Links

www.letstalkmenopause.org

Menopause Talks - Monthly series with menopause healthcare experts

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337. Manage Your Blood Sugars! Quick Tips for Diabetes & Pre-Diabetes Mar 15, 2024

Show notes

About 38 million Americans have diabetes - that’s about 1 in 10 - and approximately 90-95% of them have type 2 diabetes.

Listener Andrea is one of them, and asks: “I was wondering if you have any podcasts on nutrition and diabetes. I have type two, and I'm really struggling. Thanks.”

Let me preface this by saying that Type 2 diabetes is a medical condition that certainly requires working closely with your doctor and even a registered dietitian to prescribe a good plan of action for you. However, there are some basic principles with nutrition that you can safely follow that have been shown to improve blood sugar markers and improve insulin sensitivity.

In this shortie episode, we’ll talk about the foods that can raise your blood sugar levels, and the ones that can help keep your blood sugar steady. And I’ll tell you all about your secret weapon to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

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FREE! - Download my free report on the Three Eating Dangers to Avoid to Reset Your Eating Habits

Total Nutrition Reset - reset your eating habits and establish healthy food choices for life in just 30 days!

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336. The All-or-Nothing Sabotage: Secret HACKS Eliminate it for Good Mar 12, 2024

Show notes

We’ve all been there. Whether it’s January’s “new year, new me” excitement, or in the spring as we’re staring down swimsuit season, we’ve all reached the point where we’re ready to make BIG CHANGES. We’re going to workout 30 minutes a day. We’re going to track our calories or macros and skip the splurges.

And all our best intentions usually last a week, maybe 10 days, and then life happens:

The kids get sick and you’re barely sleeping, much less exercising, so you drop the workouts completely.
A family vacation derails your healthy-eating resolutions, so you scrap the tracking the just eat whatever. You can always try again when you’re home.
An insane family schedule means logging hours in the car and a few too many trips through to drive-thru. Oh well, life will slow down sometime, and you’ll start over.

But what if I told you that the REAL culprit behind your struggle to stick with your goals isn’t your life, it’s your mindset?

In this week’s episode, we’re going to talk about the biggest sabotage to building consistency with your healthy habits - the all-or-nothing mentality. This simple mindset shift alone could be the difference between continued frustration and life-proof success!

More Resources & Links

Need help getting started! Get Megan’s FREE 5-Day Jumpstart Tips guide!

The Jumpstart 30 Program for Beginners

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