The Unraveling Together Podcast: Recent Episodes
Dr. Sam Graber
Unraveling Together is a podcast for women who opt out of the narrative that our best years are behind us and that we are now relegated to the back burner of society. We know our best is before us.
The Unraveling Together Podcast is where we are free to talk about the things "we just don't talk about". Sharing wisdom with those who come after us is a crucial aspect of our personal growth.
During one of my spiritual pleadings early on in perimenopause, I vowed that I would not let another woman suffer through peri like I was, if I just made it through it! Ever pray to the porcelain gods? It was like that but the nauseating head-spinning feeling did not end in 24 hours or less... I was having a very difficult go at it and looking back, I’m not sure how I held on in the beginning. I’m still in the throes of peri, but I am no longer suffering, nor am I going it alone. And you don’t have to either. I found that the source of my suffering was awash in stress, wading in past trauma, and clinging for dear life to the side of the hormone pool. Once I dialed in a workable approach to all three aspects at the core of my suffering, I began to heal, really heal. I’ve experienced, and continue to experience, the kind of healing I’d only flirted with before.
I thought I was “doing the work” by attending seminar after seminar, reading book after book, and taking course after course. I was just rearranging the furniture in a hoarder’s house. If I only knew then what I know now. Though Brené Brown says you cannot manage an unraveling in her seminal blog post, "The Midlife Unraveling", I believe you can minimize the fallout. In this episode I share how I put an end to my suffering by getting my head, my heart, and my body into congruence. As a result, the suffering stopped. And the clean up from the unforeseeable and unanticipated fallout continues.
“You can’t read the label from inside the jar.”
A phrase I initially heard from a wise business coach. And though thought-provoking, not until years later have I understood the wisdom it imparts.
In a nutshell the phrase means we can’t see what’s transpiring when we’re in the thick of it (in the jar). From relationships, to business, to perimenopause, when we’re smack dab in the middle of it, it is challenging to gain perspective (read the label).
We can't get a full 360-degree perspective when we can't see from the outside-in.
To round that perspective out, Dr. Joe Dispenza notes if we want to create a new personal reality, then we have to start thinking about what we’ve been thinking about, and change our inner narrative.
Without guidance and mentorship, we are left to fend for ourselves.
We have never been taught how to take inventory of past experiences and the emotional residue left behind (the unresolved trauma).
We carry that stuff with us everywhere we go.
The term “baggage” is so spot on!
Prior to doing my own inner work, which is a continual work in progress, I was lugging around a full set of Samsonites. I’ve got a carry-on and a backpack now. Much progress has been made, and more is yet to come.
I dive deeper into how a subconscious decision I made in childhood was running my life into the ground in this week's edition of the Unraveling Together podcast.
Allow me to paint the scene for you…in it, there sits a woman. She could be anyone you know.
To the outer world, she is strong and centered.
She is the one everyone else turns to in times of trouble. All the while, she sits at rock bottom. Where she slips silently into a deafening internal echo chamber.
You may know her. You may even be her.
I was.
Back in 2017, I found myself in a really dark place. Alone with my thoughts that were anything but kind.
If you're a midlife woman experiencing what feels like a mutiny within, sit a spell. I have something to share, heart-to-heart.
I am committed to being “a brave space” for myself as well as others.
Unlike “a safe space”, a brave space is where we embrace our deepest darkest as our true selves, flaws and all.
If you’re new to me, I’m Samantha “Dr. Sam” Graber.
I’m an author, podcast host, keynote speaker, and a Holistic Perimenopause Strategist for women who are ready to stop sacrificing their health and wellbeing as they relentlessly pursue success.
I advise forward-thinking organizations on wellbeing and menopause related policy creation, and provide their workforce with online resources as well as small group coaching.
The organizations I choose to work with are ready to up their level of support for the women in their ecosystem. From the private sector to the publicly-funded, as well as nonprofits, these entities value the collective wisdom of women. And they want to retain the leadership and talent lost all too often because women lack the resources needed to optimize their wellbeing. Therefore, they are left with no other choice than to seek support elsewhere.
I help organizations empower women, by choice.
After a multi-decade career as a holistic chiropractor, I’ve orchestrated my own transformation from burnt out doc to impassioned community curator.
The Unraveling Together Community is where midlife women connect and pursue a more holistic approach to our changing bodies and minds. We focus on our wellbeing, our metabolism, and our menopause experience during as well as after we hit that magical milestone. Through masterclasses and co-working sessions, we cultivate more meaning in our individual lives while tapping into the collective wisdom of women.
Where To Find Me Online... Website
Community
Our libidos take a hit at every bend in the road of life and the switchbacks intensify during midlife. As does our stress.
First of all, most of us are so overextended we don’t know if we’re coming or going. We say “yes” too often to keep in line with our role as the “put-er of all others first”. We plaster a smile on our face because God forbid if we don’t look like we’re happy all the dang time.
To add fuel to this dumpster fire, we are eating stuff passed off as food that is anything but…and washing it down with alcohol. “But it’s just wine.” And such a slippery slope. (Ask me how I know…)
The proverbial cherry on top? We rarely, if ever, get a moment to reflect. Let alone a moment to sit with our thoughts and feelings as a kind of check-in with our own selves. We’re essentially on autopilot, which is no way to live. Another way to phrase it is that we’re numb. We don’t feel the bad, nor the good. We’re in this middle zone of complacency. A middle zone that is becoming narrower and narrower as we approach menopause.
When our libido is waning, or non-existent, the void spills over into all we do. You can’t tell it to stick to personal time. It just doesn’t work that way.
I dive into holistic ways to breathe life back into your libido, or into it for the first time. Your libido is more than your sex drive. It’s your zeal for life and business!
Website: https://drsamgraber.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-samantha-graber/
CoWorking Community: https://www.unravelingtogether.com/plans/248228
Have you ever noticed that one day you’re even-keeled, steady and everything you “touch” turns to gold?
Only to be followed a day or so later (maybe a week) when you appear to have been strapped into an emotional rollercoaster (against your will), taken for a wild ride (that is anything but fun), and now what was once gold is a flaking mess and you’re wondering what the bleep just happened?
I have. Plenty of times. And until I learned what I'm sharing with you in this episode, I was riding the struggle bus. Big time!
Our businesses live and breathe by the decisions we make.
When I was struggling most, I was making major decisions out of sync with my my best timing for making them.
You may be experiencing this as well.
In this episode, I introduce the practice of cycle tracking and dive into why you may want to make it a priority when it comes to your business decision making.
Click for access to the free resources from this episode.
Connect with me on LinkedIn.
Visit my website.
A common backseat driver of #perimenopause, and total nuisance, is #brainfog, AKA perimenopause brain. It's like pregnancy brain but then again, its not.
People are much more forgiving toward our forgetfulness, the occasional word loss, and our momentarily scattered selves when there’s a “Baby On Board”.
When it’s perimenopause brain, those around us can be far less forgiving. Especially for #womenintheworkplace.
At work, a pregnant woman finds herself in a protected group. Not so much when that same woman transitions into her perimenopause phase of life. She is met, often rather harshly, with the progressive plagues of ageism and sexism.
Now if she is LGBTQ+, BIPOC, or another layer of non-cis and other than “white”, the ‘ism stack can be crushing to her psyche, wellbeing, and her career. This is why #menopause is a #DEI issue and one every company should have not only on their radar, but in their policies.
Plug into all things Unraveling Together by following me on LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-samantha-graber/ ) or by subscribing to my YouTube channel while you're here. Hit the bell to be notified when I post another episode aimed at helping you better understand how your body (and mind) work behind the scenes.
There is an ROI on both leadership development and talent retention that you may not have given much thought to.
Seeing that you’ve invested heavily into hiring, training, and the professional development of the women in your company, when they stay and grow with your company that can add zeros with commas to the company’s bottom line.
Think of that number for a moment. Drink it in. Swish it around in your mouth to get the full flavor profile.
Here’s another thing to think about… how many women between the ages of 45 and 60 are leaving your company?
How many of them might be leaving because they feel like they were shunned, ridiculed, or dismissed as they navigated their menopause transition?
I can pretty much guarantee that even if you have an exit interview they won’t tell you the truth if they’re leaving for that reason. They’ll tell someone like me, but not you.
Having a #DEI policy that identifies #menopause by name signals to women that you value them at every stage along their personal and professional evolution.
If you want to hear concrete ways you can support yourself and/or the women in your life and in your business, listen to this episode then comment below or DM me on LinkedIn (Dr. Sam Graber) for more information on how you can retain the talent, wisdom and experience of the seasoned women in your workforce.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-samantha-graber/
As a result of my personal experience with perimenopause (peri) and the realization that peri is something we just don’t talk about, I made a shift in my professional focus.
We need to be talking about perimenopause.
This is a conversation that belongs in every room in which there are women. From the boardroom to the bedroom. Different conversations mind you, but conversations that need ample space to breathe.
No matter your age and where you are on your menopause continuum (pre-, peri-, or postmenopause), you can feel and function better with real food and simple strategies for putting it to work on your behalf.
I’ve always been a real food advocate and after an on again-off again love affair with ketosis, I realized just how “on” I was when I prioritized metabolic flexibility through nutritional ketosis and intermittent fasting.
What I didn’t know and therefore neglected to account for was how timing my efforts in concert with my sex hormone shifts could have a profound impact on my perimenopause experience.
I was also ignorant as to how powerful aligning my thoughts was to the whole experience. It wasn’t until I went dark that I learned how integral it truly was.
When memories of past traumatic experiences began bubbling back up and eventually took on the force of a geyser, I knew something needed to change, and fast. The emotions were adding gasoline to the fire already ablaze.
Perimenopause has 3 co-conspirators: our thoughts, our emotions, and our hormones. They can be allies or bullies…in this week’s Unraveling Together Podcast episode, I share how.
Our metabolic health and our menopause experience are intimately interconnected. And our thoughts and emotions round out the experience weighting it toward the positive or negative side of life’s ledger with each passing day.
Incorporating The KNOW ● FEEL ● DO Methodology will help you navigate the waters more smoothly and to better cope with the rapids that pop up along your journey.
And if you’ve already come out the other side of menopause, attaining metabolic flexibility will bring a whole new level of vitality to you life, for the rest of it.
Learn more about the community of rebellious women I'm cultivating around me at at https://www.unravelingtogether.com/
In this episode, I pose some questions I believe every business leadership team needs to consider.
If you are a decision maker for your company, consider this:
How much talent, experienced leadership, and company wisdom are you hemorrhaging when women are faced with the lose/lose proposition that occurs when their needs during perimenopause are ignored?
Translate that into dollars.
How much is this costing your company as a result?
And if you are a company of one, like me, same questions:
What happens if you’re one of the women who have a difficult menopausal experience?
How much might it cost you in business?
Your relationships?
Your wellbeing ?
Who steps up if you need to step down?
I ask these questions to get you thinking proactively and to share how you can bridge the resource gap women in your workforce face, but may not be telling you about because they don't feel they can.
Learn more on my blog at https://drsamgraber.com/we-need-more-women-in-leadership-so-why-do-we-ignore-their-needs-in-perimenopause-and-beyond/ or https://www.unravelingtogether.com/
You have more important things to be focused on than your love/hate relationship with your bathroom scale. Wouldn’t you agree?
You’re up to big things in this world and wasting time engaged in a war with your weight is not one of them!
The conversation around “weight loss” is not really about weight. Weight is just a measurement of how our body relates to gravity at that moment in time. That shows up as a number on a device. A device that has no business being on anyone’s bathroom floor, in my opinion.
We make that number mean something. We make it not just the objective measurement of weight, but we make it a subjective measurement of our worth in some way.
The higher the number on the scale, the lower we think of ourselves. Let’s just say it like it is, shall we?
We engage in this personal battle “with our weight” because that’s what we’ve been brainwashed to think matters.
I don’t give a rip what you weigh. I don’t give a rip what I weigh. I care what we’re made of.
A few years back I introduced a program called the 12 Week Metabolism Reset. At that point in time it was focused for anyone with human DNA.
I’ve now dialed it in specifically for women.
I show you how to coordinate your metabolism with your female sex hormone cycle. From about our late 30s on, there are so many things that can hijack that cycle. Our female hormone cycle is greatly influenced by a metabolic machinery that runs everything. And most of that ties back to our cells and their relationship with insulin and cortisol.
I know, I know…here I go again talking about insulin and cortisol. [I see that eye-roll!]
I talk about this dynamic duo because they are the drivers of this whole conversation and when we work with them, we have harmony. When we try to pull something over on them, they quickly figure out that we’re up to no metabolic good and they put us in our place. Swiftly and forcefully.
Listen to this week's episode to learn how you can get the last word in when it comes to ending the “weight loss” conversation, for good.
LINKS mentioned in this episode:
Environmental Working Group - https://www.ewg.org/
My Unraveling Together Info & CoWorking Community - https://www.unravelingtogether.com/
Unraveling Together Podcast - Ep. 029 - Lose Weight...Another Phrase To Retire In 2022 - https://youtu.be/Kk8H2eXmvLc
To transform ourselves, we need our Inner Rebel to be fully engaged. Yet channeling one’s Inner Rebel is challenging for most.
She's "in there", I promise.
In this episode we explore the making of an Inner Rebel and why her recruitment is a critical piece for completion of our holistic transformation puzzle. This is not an optional step by any means.
There’s one overriding common trait amongst those of us who channel our Inner Rebel: we are unable to blindly accept the status quo at any and all levels.
We are unwilling to conform to standards set by others. We push ourselves past these set boundaries.
It is this spirit that allows us to face a plethora of problems head-on while recognizing solutions to said problems. This spirit illuminates the opportunities that present themselves as well.
It is the same spirit that allows us to rise above the fear of failure and overcome doubts. It allows us to improvise, innovate, invent, and create new paths both personally and professionally, where none previously existed.
The sense of unrest amplified at midlife isn’t only in our thoughts and emotions. It is felt at a cellular level. We’ve accumulated toxins, depleted nutrients, and ignored our own cries for help. These cries come from our heart, our mind, and our body.
Unraveling Together is the place we talk about the things we just don't talk about. Especially as women.
Unraveling Together is an Info Hub and online CoWorking Space focused on issues affecting women in perimenopause and beyond. Unravelers are encouraged to do the work for themselves but are never by themselves as they do it. When you are in need of an assist, you have all of us right there alongside you.
The bottom line on every single topic we work through together… Ending The War With Our Bodies. It’s time.
Unraveling Together Community 🔗 https://www.unravelingtogether.com/
In keeping with the societal script when it comes to experiencing life in a woman’s body, perimenopause is something we just don’t talk about but so desperately need to be talking about as a collective of women.
If you’ve been in my ecosystem for longer than a day or two you know that I am changing that dire situation. With fervor no less.
We need to be talking about perimenopause, and transparently at that.
Perimenopause is not only a “hormone thing”, she is an “everything” thing.
Perimenopause is the nexus of everything we’ve been through, the unspoken regrets we turn a blind eye to, as well as the time when all the emotions we bury deep decide to gang up on us. In turn unleashing themselves in a wrath to which we can either attempt to “power through” or allow ourselves to “lean into”.
I entered the perimenopausal waters in my mid-40s. I’m not sure when exactly, for peri is more an “ohhh, that’s what was going on” kind of thing than the “I know exactly what’s happening” kind of thing.
She’s elusive until you acknowledge her presence. ‘Tis then when the murkiness clears.
Every woman will experience perimenopause. There’s no opting out no matter who you are and how important you may think what you’ve got going on is.
In our CoWorking Community, we join together support one another in doing our inner work. We aim to take full advantage of the powerful built-in transistion of perimenopause.
We'd love to have you with us! You can learn more about us at https://www.unravelingtogether.com/
Have you ever tossed and turned all night?
Frustrating, isn't it?
If it’s a once-in-awhile thing, it's not all that big a deal. But when one night turns to two. Then three and four, it can set off all the body’s alarms. In turn sending your entire system into panic mode.
As if perimenopause wasn’t challenging enough, when insomnia joins the symptoms ranks, it can send us over the proverbial edge!
Tune into this episode to hear why you can't sleep in perimenopause and what you can do about it.
My 15 minute Energy Center Sound Bath will help you tame that stress that adds to a sleepless night. Listen nightly to get the full effect. 🔗 https://youtu.be/6LGnYZbyaFQ
Have you listened to episodes 51 - 57 of the Unraveling Together Podcast yet? This is the last episode of an 8 episodes special series in which I outlined the 12 Step Strategy For A Body & Brain That Just Won't Quit. This episode along with the previous 7 will give you a rounded out look at how our metabolism changes in midlife and what we can do about that too.
In addition to listening to the previous 7 episodes, grab my Top 10 Tips To Jumpstart Your Sluggish Metabolism from my website so you can kick off the process pronto! 🔗 https://drsamgraber.com/freebie/top-10-tips-metabolism/
If you like my content, please consider subscribing to my channel and liking this video to help me reach more people who want a holistic approach to menopause, from peri- to post-. Ring that bell to be notified of fresh content.
If we stop buying it, they'll stop selling it.
The C.R.A.P. that is.
C = chemicals your grandparents wouldn’t have in their own kitchen.
R = refined sugar and grains.
A = artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, etc.
P = processed in any way.
We are literally subsidizing our demise as taxpayers. Our tax dollars support the policies that have zero interest in our health, nor that of the Earth and all its other inhabitants.
All the hype about our current and future "food shortage" and "supply chain" issues isn't referring to real food. Its referring to processed food (a.k.a. C.R.A.P.).
You can opt out of the madness.
It may take a little time and I guarantee it will take some effort, but it is worth every bit of both!
In this episode I share how to leave the C.R.A.P. on the grocery store shelf, in turn opting for real food that tastes really good!
To kick off your very own "opting out of the madness", grab my Top 10 Tips To Jumpstart Your Sluggish Metabolism freebie: https://drsamgraber.com/freebie/top-10-tips-metabolism/
This week's focus is on a topic so misunderstood and misused, it is doing more damage than good. And that is a shame because when properly done, intermittent fasting is nothing short of a built-in superpower!
"How Doing Absolutely Nothing Is Everything When It Comes To Jumpstarting Your Sluggish Midlife Metabolism" is the sixth issue in the 8-part series focused on my "12-Step Strategy For A Body & Brain That Just Won't Quit".
In this episode I talk about steps 3 and 9. They go hand-in-hand.
Jumpstarting a sluggish metabolism in your 40s and beyond isn’t easy. But it’s not all that difficult either.
It takes a variation on a theme that may be unique to you, but it is just a variation on a pretty consistent theme.
All-in-all it is a two-fold process. One part is to decrease the glucose coming in; the second is to burn up what’s already locked away in the body.
This week is focused on tapping into an overlooked part of the metabolic machinery, the stored energy just sitting there waiting to be burned as fuel. The lioness' share of your body fat is just that, stored energy. You just need to find the right key to unlock it and open up the energy floodgates.
The key?
Nothing. You read that right! Doing nothing with nothing.
And by “nothing” I am referring to not ingesting nutrition so your body can dip into its reserves to put to good use what it put away for “a rainy day”.
Understanding this principle can change everything about the way your body and brain function.
I started fasting for brain health, and let me tell you...it has worked wonders for my perimenopause brain!
Just as there's a pregnancy brain, there's a perimenopause brain. Any time we have radical shifts in our hormone profile, we have radical shifts in our brain function which may disrupt us for awhile until we recalibrate.
Since perimenopause can last 5-plus years, it is the mother of all hormonal shifts as far as I'm concerned.
Other episodes mentioned:
Episode 053 of the Unraveling Together Podcast
Episode 010 of the Unraveling Together Podcast
Join us in the free Unraveling Together Info Hub.
#IntermittentFasting #perimenopause #menopause #midlifewomen #metabolichealth #metabolism #lowcarb #ketosis
Have you listened to all the episodes in this 8-part series thus far?
This is the fifth one and it includes my tried-and-true hierarchy for making protein choices. Since we are eating the flesh (and the fat) of that animal or the egg from that animal, what it ate and how it lived affects us directly.
When choosing animal protein sources, look to the way the animal was raised. What was it fed? In what kind of environment did it live? Was there freedom for movement?
When you choose animals from farms that practice #regenerativeagriculture, you can rest assured you are buying the highest of quality. This "grade" comes from not only the nutrient profile, it is based upon the conditions in which that animal lived. That truly matters.
Links mentioned in Ep. 055:
Ep. 052: The Number One Reason Midlife Women Seek My Help And Why It Bums Me Out - https://drsamgraber.com/podcast/number-one-reason-midlife-women-seek-my-help-bums-me-out/
Ep. 054 - Can’t Get Rid Of Your Belly Fat No Matter What You Do? Listen To This Before You Go On Another Diet. - https://drsamgraber.com/podcast/cant-get-rid-of-your-belly-fat-no-matter-what-you-do/
Written Protein Hierarchy: https://drsamgraber.com/prioritize-protein-to-optimize-hormones-amongst-other-critical-things/
To get a jump on the process, be sure to grab the Top 10 Tips To Jumpstart Your Sluggish Metabolism freebie: https://drsamgraber.com/freebie/top-10-tips-metabolism/
I used to restrict some calories, run a few miles, and lengthen my nightly slumber for a week or so and the inches would just melt away.
That is until I hit the 40-year milemarker. Then.. all bets were off.
It was as if my body was no longer 𝘮𝘺 body. What used to work to shed a few (or several) pounds no longer worked. In fact it seemed like it just added more to what I was trying to lose.
After a few years of struggle, and to be honest, some "mean girl" inner talk, I finally cracked the code.
I did it with real food. And a handy little inborn magical metabolic setting that costs absolutely nothing. Because it is technically "nothing".
It is fasting.
No, not the type that requires willpower.
It's the type that taps into your energy in reserve (your body fat) to fuel your body through everything you need and want to do, while taking your brain to its happy place!
I fast in accordance with my cycle and I must say, since doing this, my #mentalhealth has been the best it has ever been! Seriously, right smack dab in the middle of perimenopause and I'm clearer than ever, more grounded than ever, and more jazzed about the future, than ever!
Ask anyone who knows me... I love to fast!! Almost as much as I love to eat good food. (This girl likes her food! Like, a lot.)
Anywho...
In this week's UNconventional Wisdom Newsletter, I break down what is at work behind the metabolic scenes. I'll throw down some nerd talk and some real talk.
Here's an excerpt from this episode:
"You are not broken. You are not lazy. And you are not destined to “be fat” forever.
Your body’s fuel gauge is wonky. Your insulin level is out of whack. Your body has selective hearing when it comes to insulin. And there is good news…you can fix it. The bad news is YOU have to fix it.
There is no pill (or injection) that will fix your body’s dysfunctional relationship with insulin. But Big Pharma will tell you differently.
“There’s A Pill For That”
Big Pharma wrings their hands with delight when it comes to the midlife woman. They’ve been spouting their pills-a-plenty promises our way since our first periods.
It was at that point that we became a “target market” and a rather profitable one. They’ll hurl one pill or another at us with empty promises to decrease this and increase that."
Listen the full episode for the scoop on your body's fuel gauge and how you can optimize its performance.
While you're listening be sure to grab my "Top 10 Tips To Jumpstart Your Sluggish Metabolism". Here's where you grab that freebie: LINK
If you're a woman in midlife and your waistline is expanding, your energy is plummeting, and all-in-all you just don’t feel like “you”, please hear this: 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣.
You’re most likely in perimenopause.
This very natural stage in your life coupled with a common metabolic issue, added to the constant state of stress you are most likely experiencing is the root cause of this troubling trio.
Perimenopause
+
Insulin Resistance
+
Chronic Stress
=
You Don't Feel Like The "You" You Once Knew
The reason this occurs boils down to biochemistry.
I know, I know…snore.
But stick with me for a hot minute as I share the 𝘸𝘩𝘺 behind the 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 when it comes to our expanding waistlines when we hit the midlife station in life.
If your waistline is expanding, your energy is plummeting, and all-in-all you just don't feel like "you", you'll benefit from my 𝘛𝘰𝘱 10 𝘛𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘛𝘰 𝘑𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘚𝘭𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮.
Grab that here: 🔗 Top 10 Tips
Listen to Episode 052 for the down low on Steps 1 and 2 as mentioned in this episode. 🔗 Episode 052 of the Unraveling Together Podcast
If you’re face-to–face with the reality that you don’t like what you see in the mirror and you’re upset because you can’t get into the clothes you used to wear, I have good news.
The 12-Step Strategy I’m sharing with you in this 8-part Unraveling Together Podcast series is a roadmap for correcting the underlying factors.
Correct those and watch the “weight” take care of itself.
In this episode I introduce you to 3 steps of my 12 Step Strategy For A Body & Brain That Just Won’t Quit.
The 12-Step Strategy addresses not only the physical parameters of fat loss, hormones, nutrients, and fuel, it addresses the mental and emotional aspects of healing our bodies from a history of dieting. It is a holistic approach that meets you where you are and helps you get clear on where you want to go, and why.
When left unchecked, society’s continual barrage of messages that we must be of a “certain (acceptable) size” to be in any way desirable fuels a war within that is completely unwinnable.
We women live the vast majority of our lives at war with our bodies in the pursuit of being a certain size. It is a lose-lose situation.
When “weight loss” is the goal, both our body and our mind lose.
The 12 Step Strategy is a roadmap for rebellious women to build up this immunity and opt-out of the future so many Americans are destined to have when following conventional wisdom and the status quo it spews.
Start your rebellion by grabbing my Top 10 Tips To Jumpstart Your Sluggish Metabolism then T.I.A. (Step # 1)!
As time passes and you’ve intently focused on your career, you may have unintentionally taken your eye off your health and wellbeing. It’s not unheard of when we’re dedicated to our work.
What we intend to be a brief diversion can turn into years when we’re in hot pursuit of our goals and dreams.
If you’re realizing there are some changes happening in your body, mind, and emotions that have you second guessing whether “everything is okay”, you are in the right place, reading the right message, from the right person, at the right time.
What feels like a lifetime ago, yet was only a few years back, I felt empty inside as a result of the go-go-go pace I was attempting to keep up with. All in all, it just left me feeling as if I was failing at pretty much everything that everyone expected of me.
I broke free from my self-judgment purgatory and in a means of paying it forward to help other women avoid the lows I experienced, I developed the 12 Step Strategy For A Body & Brain That Just Won't Quit.
The more fit, more energized, and more vibrant version of you awaits. You may have all but given up on that vision because everything you try is another lesson in failure....
This revolving door of failures stops when you break out of self-judgment purgatory.
This is the first episode in an 8 episodes special series of the Unraveling Together Podcast in which I'll outline the 12 Step Strategy and share how it came to life.
In the next episode of the series, and Episode No. 52 of the Unraveling Together podcast, I'll reveal 3 critical steps of the 12 Step Strategy For A Body & Brain That Just Won’t Quit.
In the meantime, you can jump ahead by grabbing my Top 10 Tips To Jumpstart Your Sluggish Metabolism from my website now.
Our monkey mind is another term for our perpetual thoughts. Think of it as the chattering monkey of our internal monologue.
This constant chattering is the thought trail that plays in the background of our daily life.
When our monkey mind is left to her own devices, she takes our focused mind on a detour as she swings from limb to limb through the thought trees in our heads.
If you’re a woman in the throes of perimenopause, the constant flux of your hormonal symphony adds velocity to the swing. As estrogen rises and falls, and progesterone is on her tapered decline, these swings happen faster and more abruptly.
In this episode we explore two ways in which mindfulness can help us during menopause and I share with you a quick exercise to help you get started.
You can grab that free resource HERE.
Mindfulness helps release tension, in turn relieving anxiety related to the symptoms that accompany menopause. It also engages and focuses your mind while it increases body awareness. A double dose of goodness for the menopausal mind if you ask me...and any other perimenopausal woman out there.
Take a listen and if you jive with my vibe, be sure to subscribe to the Unraveling Together Podcast so you don't miss a weekly episode!
There comes a point in life when many of us feel a gnawing emptiness inside.
It’s not the “lack of something” kind of empty, it's the type of emptiness that takes up all the available space until it can no longer be ignored. And when it is ignored, it manifests as anger and anxiety, and ultimately illness and disease.
This emptiness isn’t “nothing”. It is everything, and then some.
Seems for many, this manifestation comes during the midlife point in our lives. It sure did for me!
If this sounds familiar, it is time to uncover what your heart’s heart is trying to tell you.
In this episode, I share with you how I uncovered more about myself through the Enneagram than I had in countless other "personal development" tools I'd paid big money for over the decades.
Here are the links to the resources I mentioned in the episode:
Learn more about the Unraveling Together Community >> https://www.unravelingtogether.com/
Grab the free Enneagram resource >> https://drsamgraber.com/freebie/discover-your-enneagram-type-in-4-simple-steps/
Resilience is the antidote to stress in perimenopause.
And just as stress accumulates, so does the antidote.
In this episode I elaborate on 4 simple ways to shore up your resilience training strategy:
1) Practice Attentive Listening
2) Be Mindful
3) Break Tasks Into Manageable Chunks
4) Journaling At Night
These aren't the only 4 ways, but they're a solid start. Which one will you implement first?
If you're a midlife woman who is fed up with the status quo narrative that it's all downhill from here, opt out of that hogwash by subscribing to this podcast.
It is here that you'll find your no fluff, no BS guide to midlife, menopause and finding meaning through it all.
When you hear the term “midlife crisis”, what comes to mind?
Some middle-aged guy in a fast car with a hot young (and fast) babe next to him? Same...until I read a May 2018 blog post by Brené Brown. It changed everything for me.
The two previous years were tumultous to say the least. I was blindsided by the changes my body and brain were going through. When compounded by the emotional rollercoaster I was on, I was knocked flat on my keester. I was a hot mess...and suffering. In silence.
That all changed after I read "The Midlife Unraveling" on Brené Brown's blog. She is why I walk alongside other women on their proactive unraveling journey.
Until we better understand what makes us tick and what makes us a ticking time bomb, we have little hope of true connection with others.
I share more about the path I travelled to get from rock bottom to where I am now. At peace. And feeling more at home in my own skin than I ever have before.
If you find yourself resonating with what I share, look into joining us in the Unraveling Together Community. All women are welcome at our collective table. Details can be found at: https://www.unravelingtogether.com/
There are many things we can say about love... some idealistic, some realistic and some awash in hopeless romanticism that leaves us all feeling empty.
The one love I believe gets the short end of the love-stick is self-love.
In this week's episode I take issue with a popular societal conditioning that tells us we are to ignore our own selves to focus on "the greater good".
Humor me for a moment as I walk you through my thoughts on this.
Let’s start with a dive deep into “the greater good” reasoning.
I propose to you that what is good for the “greater” is what is good for the one.
Samantha "Dr. Sam" Graber is an author, podcast host, keynote speaker and Holistic Transformation Coach for women ready to stop sacrificing their health in their pursuit of success.
After a multi-decade career as a holistic chiropractor, she orchestrated her own transformation from burnt out doc to impassioned community curator.
The Unraveling Together Community is where women connect and pursue a more holistic approach to their changing bodies and minds with a focus on their midlife metabolism and menopause, from pre- to peri- to post-. Through masterclasses and co-working sessions, they cultivate more meaning in their individual lives while tapping into the collective wisdom of women.
#SelfLove #MidlifeCrisis #KnowThyself #LoveThyself #drSAMgraber #mindfulness #UnravelingTogether
Just in case this is news to you, or you are like I was and think you’re invincible, this my friend is your “Come to Jesus Moment”. Without the painful collateral damage I endured a few short years ago.
Had I listened to those before me, I’d have beefed up my adrenals in preparation for perimenopause. I would have much preferred circumnavigate the pit of despair I found myself neck deep in a few years ago. But true to form, I opted to keep up my over-achieving ways, only to crash and burn.
In this episode, I've got some hard-hitting tough love on tap for you along with 4 tips to implement right away for showing your adrenals some extra love during midlife.
Here's the link to the quick mindfulness lesson I mention: https://drsamgraber.com/freebie/mindfulness-video-lesson/
Bringing more mindfulness into your daily life is much easier than you may think. If you’re a 40-plus woman, join us in the Unraveling Together Community for guidance on mindfulness and stress reduction as you enter your perimenopause and beyond.
LINK: https://www.unravelingtogether.com/
I'm curious...how often do you have your Hemoglobin A1c tested? Once yearly? Twice? Never?? (Oh my, let's rectify that situation STAT!)
I'm sure you've had the pleasure of sitting in your doc's office while they rattle off a list of acronyms that would make the cast of Sesame Street beam with pride.
"Look at you! You know so many letters! Well done."
But truth be told this litany of letters can make one's head spin. (It's okay, mine used to take a revolution or two when I was learning this stuff way back when.) There sure are a wide variety of blood tests your doctor can run to help you manage your metabolic health. Most are best understood in reference to other measurements. On their own, they often fall flat on the scale of usefulness.
Then there's the A1c...this bad gal can stand on her own for her usefulness is dialed in tight. Your A1c level is a trend that helps you and your doctor know whether your body's ability to control your blood glucose (blood sugar) is working in your favor or not.
Allow me to shine the spotlight on your A1c, she's more powerful than you may realize.
If you want to plug into my ecosystem and learn more simple ways for approaching your midlife metabolism and menopause holistically, subscribing to this podcast is a great place to start!
Look around, mental health issues are steadily on the rise. You can't scroll your social media feed without some reference to mental health. There is mounting evidence that eating to attain and maintain ketosis has a double whammy of the best kind when it comes to your body and brain. When one loses weight in the form of body fat, it feels good on the inside and the outside. Fueling the body with the right ratio of macronutrients (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) is like using premium gas for your vehicle. As the inside is working much more efficiently and weight loss begins, body image gets a hit of positivity.
The ketogenic way of eating could also be an alternative for those who are unable to afford psychiatric medications or who just want to try a more holistic approach.
It is certainly worth giving it the ol’ college try!
Maybe mental health related medications haven’t been as successful for you as expected. Or maybe you're one of the many who experience nasty side-effects from them. The reasons to try the ketogenic way of eating are endless and the list of reasons not to try pales by comparison.
Join the conversation on LinkedIn. Click the follow button and the bell to be looped in. LINK: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-samantha-graber/
Subscribe to my weekly LinkedIn Newsletter. LINK: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/unconventional-wisdom-6891401435947311104/
Have you ever gone on a diet? I have. And I don't recommend it. Avoid those things like the plague. Being on a diet sucks all the joy out of life, doesn't it? I'm not a betting woman, but if I were, I'd put money on the fact that you have tried to lose weight by cutting calories, choking down some chalky meal replacement shake or bar, taking something to decrease your appetite and/or doing long stints of cardio. Most of us have by the time we hit midlife.
Our collective strategy for losing weight (which I will argue is not the result to focus on) is off-base, much like everything conventional wisdom proselytizes from the Diet Dogma Pulpit. The only ones making out in the Diet World are the obesity profiteers.
What's an obesity profiteer? Anyone who makes the lion's share of their money keeping you on the diet-go-round. Think powder, potion. patch, and procedure peddlers, supplement slingers and most gyms (not all). Whether this person has a degree or they are a self-proclaimed expert or gulp coach doesn't matter. If they get the majority of their income from regurgitating the diet dogma status quo which keeps you spinning on that diet-go-round, they are an obesity profiteer.
In this week's LinkedIn newsletter, I'm sharing some UNconventional Wisdom to combat the horse-pucky conventional wisdom's front men and women have spewed at us for more than long enough. Time to take the mic from their greedy grip.
*Check One Two, One Two.*
Join the conversation on LinkedIn. Click the follow button and the bell to be looped in.
Subscribe to my weekly LinkedIn Newsletter.
Are you the kind of woman who likes to prepare for what she can, or do you fly by the seat of your pants? I only ask because this whole “menopause is an inevitable hell, so suck it up, plaster a plumped up smile on your face, and get back in there to juggle the umpteen million things you do on a daily basis for which you get no atta girl” narrative is not how it has to be.
Menopause is designed into our human experience with purpose.
Since life is not a spectator sport, nor is peri/menopause, I say we go into it eyes-wide-open, strategies in place, and support by our side.
Menopause is an opportunity for us to clear the slate, take up our lives FOR ourselves, and to add our well-earned wisdom to the conversations that need women’s voices and perspectives more now than ever.
If you find yourself offended by a woman talking about sex, libido, erotica, pornography, relationships… may want to scroll on by my thin-skinned friend.
But if you’re open in mind to perspectives from a woman who is sharing from lived experience, both hers and others who’ve confided in her their deepest-darkests, sit a spell and listen.
As noted herein, menopause is the great reckoning, fueling our wing-woman’s IDGAF attitude. When done well, it is liberating. When done poorly, it is dangerous. I think I’m walking that line between liberating and dangerous rather well…most days.
If you want to plug into my ecosystem and learn more simple ways for approaching your midlife metabolism and menopause holistically, subscribing to this podcast is a great place to start!
Society’s messaging to seasoned women is that it’s all downhill from here and we should just take up as little space as possible. Our time has come, and it has gone.
Excuse me!?! I think not. And in the spirit of keeping this PG…to them, I say, “Go pound sand!”
If you’re a woman in your mid-30s and beyond, this is a conversation you want to plug into. You can do that in a couple of ways. One is by subscribing to this podcast. Through my growing episode library, I will be sharing what I like to call “UNconventional Wisdom”. I highlight the UNconventional because the work I do and the way I view life are anything but conventional in nature.
I follow the principles of Nature and for far too long, her ways have been hijacked by well-manicured people in suits when we should have been listening to those in overalls with soil under their fingernails.
If you are struggling with changes midlife brings with it, I want you to know that I hear you and you do not have to live at the mercy of your hormones. You can optimize them by implementing the KNOW >> FEEL >> DO Methodology.
In this episode, I delve into the hormonal shifts we experience during perimenopause and discuss how our mindset towards our ever-changing hormonal landscape makes a significant difference in what we experience.
If you jive with the vibe herein, you'll love being part of the conversation! Follow me on LinkedIn to take part: Dr. Sam Graber on LinkedIn
I look forward to helping you navigate this most misunderstood and over-dramatized time of transformation. It isn't as complicated as you're led to believe. And as with most things holistic, the simplicity is often overlooked.
If you want to plug into my ecosystem and learn more simple ways for approaching your midlife metabolism and menopause holistically, subscribing to this podcast is a great place to start!
If you can relate to any of the following, this episode was created for you. If you know a woman experiencing the following, forward this episode to her...she'll be thankful that you did.
Your nerves are shot and everyone’s on that ONE you’ve got left. Or maybe you can’t lose your stubborn belly fat no matter how little you eat or how much you exercise.
You’re hot one minute and freezing the next. Or possibly you're one of the many who can’t stay asleep at night and can barely stay awake during the day.
Quite possibly you feel like you’re crawling out of your skin one moment and feel totally numb the next. All in all, you feel lost, alone, and at a loss for “what’s next”.
Please don't fret, there may be something at work that you've not heard of before, you may be in perimenopause. It is the time in a woman's life before she has her menopause. Some women sail through it without a heave nor a ho...others live in the Perfect Storm for years.
Either way, you won't know until you are in the thick of it. And if you're struggling, please know this too shall pass and there are some very simple things you can do to help yourself through this most powerful of life transitions.
For starters, listen to this episode. Then subscribe to this podcast to know when I publish my weekly episode.
You can join the conversation by following me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-samantha-graber/
I look forward to helping you navigate this most misunderstood time of transition. It isn't as complicated as you're led to believe...but as with most things holistic, the simplicity is often overlooked.
You wouldn't start a home makeover without taking out the trash. Nor would you redecorate your renovated home with tattered items on the verge of falling apart. Your body feels the same way toward its healing process.
Healing any part of the human body starts with healing at a cellular level. It’s a process and a lengthy one at that. It is NOT an overnight thing by any stretch of the imagination.
In this episode, I'll share simple tips to help you stack the healing deck in your favor.
We can start the healing process, in essence cleaning up the metabolic mess, with the following four actions. Think of them as moving parts. Like cogs ⚙ in the machine. Each is helpful on its own, but when working in tandem we really get somewhere. Please note, you can start doing every single one of these now. No need to wait for a special occasion, or the first of the month. Put a plan in place and get to work!
Just in case their fancy marketing has you wondering, you cannot substitute any of these steps with a detox program that you buy from your neighbor.
Just as toxins accumulate causing a negative, their removal adds up to create a positive effect on the overall system that is YOU/HQ.
You don't need anything but some real, nutrient-dense food (I share the type to prioritize herein) and a solid commitment to bucking the "diet dogma" promoted by the Obesity Profiteers and their minions at Big Food. Or would we consider the Obesity Profiteers the minions...? Things that make you go "Hmmmm".
Your body is designed to burn fat.
If you want to level-up not only your understanding of how your body works, but you want to start making choices more aligned with those that are good for humanity and our planet, plug into my ecosystem.
A good place to start is to listen to this episode and subscribe to my podcast so you know when I publish my next no-holds-barred episode helping you better understand your body so you too can take better care of it.
App mentioned for personal care products: EWG’s Healthy Living app (EWG = Environmental Working Group, a US-based nonprofit). LINK: https://www.ewg.org/apps/
You’ll often hear me say, “the better you understand your body, the better you can care for it.” There’s a lot of truth to it. Big Food, Big Pharma, Big Ag...heck, all the "Bigs" bank on the fact that you don't understand how your body works let alone the influence your food choices have on the inner workings of you.
You're not alone in the "not quite clear" category of understanding. Fact is that most people don’t know how their body works, resulting in their having more of a “Me versus It” viewpoint which injects one into a lose-lose tug-of-war that lasts a lifetime. And creates an epic level of fallout along the way.
More often than not, people think it is an “either / or” conversation when in fact it is a “both / and” one.
If you want to level-up not only your understanding of how your body works, but you want to start making choices more aligned with those that are good for humanity and our planet, plug into my ecosystem.
A good place to start is to listen to this episode and subscribe to my podcast so you know when I publish my next no-holds-barred episode helping you better understand your body so you too can take better care of it.
Women are beautiful in every shape and size. And while I’m saying so, I want to go on record with this, "as women, our worth is not tied to our size, nor our gravitational pull." That is just a fact in my book.
That is but one reason why the phrase "lose weight" has got to go!
Buh-bye now.
In this episode I share a more concrete reason as to why it's not about losing weight and what it is a matter of losing.
One thing I encourage you to do is the following, but first I want to ensure you know I speak from a place of 💜 love...
"Please love yourself at all sizes. But do not conflate nor confuse that self-love with healthy. We can be metabolically healthy in many shapes and sizes…until we are not."
Let’s talk about it on LinkedIn. Follow me @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-samantha-graber/ and join the conversations we have about navigating our midlife metabolism and menopause holistically.
“Eating Meat Can Lower My Stress?” I can hear you now…and yes it does. In this short podcast episode I'll share with you how.
When working per design you’d be hard-pressed to find a more efficient system than the human digestive system. Digestive issues arise when we are seduced into eating Frankenfood. "Food" that is created in a lab or a factory instead of Mother Nature's Great Outdoors.
Listen out for the type of meat I recommend when eating what's best for humans, animals and the land we inhabit. HINT: it is not what's found on the shelves of most major grocery stores.
I love conversations based upon what I feel truly is best for people, planet...and not too shabby for the company's profit margin either. If you want to talk shop and geek out about all things regenerative food, subscribe to this podcast.
A 5-star rating with a comment would go a long way toward helping me reach more listeners...thank you in advance if you are so inclined!
There is no such thing as "just stress". Though we can't control nor rid our lives of the stressors that cause stress, we can control how we respond (or react) to these stressors. Contrary to what "conventional wisdom" wants you to think, you have everything you need inside of you to counter the stress within. You do not have a drug-deficiency. You have a belief-deficiency that has taken you off-course.
Building your resilience repertoire is how you get back on the path that you enjoy now and look forward to traveling for the rest of your life. You do not need to keep retracing your footsteps.
Stress is an inside job.
In this episode, I share what it does to us on the inside when we allow stress to run wild within.
Up-leveling your skills is a non-negotiable when it comes to taming stress and overcoming anxiety in midlife.
Subscribe to this podcast and follow me on LinkedIn to join the conversations we have about navigating our midlife metabolism and menopause holistically. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-samantha-graber/
Cue the red face, neck and chest. Daggum. Here comes the sweat. This is a moment many women in perimenopause experience on the daily. Some women? They have hot flushes all day, every day. To say it is ”inconvenient” is the understatement of all understatements.
In this episode, I share a glimpse of what the women in your life may be experiencing as they navigate perimenopause.
Now they don't need your sympathy, that isn't what this call-to-action is about. This is a call for you to level up your compassion if you are lucky to be in the midst of a woman who is in this most powerful point of her evolution. She is mounting a metamorphosis.
She doesn’t have a disease, she’s experiencing perimenopause. A natural stage in the physical, mental and emotional evolution of a woman. We’ve been going through it since the dawn of time. It's only now that we’re talking more about it.
This conversation has a place in every room you find women. In the boardroom and the bedroom. Different conversations, mind you, but conversations to be had nonetheless.
Listen with an open mind and open heart.
If you're a woman navigating perimenopause or wonder if you are, consider joining us in The Unraveling Together community. This community is the place for rebellious midlife women to get vetted information about what is happening to them and unfolding for them in perimenopause.
Learn more here: https://www.unravelingtogether.com/
I know this is weird, but I was thinking recently about how success is like a Tootsie Pop. I know, "Weirdo", but hear me out. (And FYI, I take "weirdo" as a compliment!) In this episode I share my thoughts on resilience and how you can use it to cultivate a growth mindset.
I just wrapped up a beta testing cycle for a mini-course on resilience and I am savoring some major breakthroughs. The course is called “Building Your Resilience In Midlife: How To Bounce Back From Anything Life Throws At You. Yes, ANYTHING!”
It is a bonus for joining my newly launched membership & community, Unraveling Together. (Check that out at https://www.unravelingtogether.com/ .)
In it, I walk you through the process of coming out the other side of adversity, not only intact, but stronger than before.
Failure is the best teacher we’ve got going for us. Failure is something everyone has access to and is guaranteed to experience. Yes, even the kids whose parents bubble wrap them. (I feel sorry for those kids, don’t you?)
The remedy that sends the fear of failure packing is resilience.
Keep this in mind: resilience is rooted in growth. Growth leads to success.
Follow me on LinkedIn (@DrSamGraber) for more practical tips for building resilience among other aspects of leadership and growth.
Please subscribe to this podcast to be first to know when I drop another episode of the Unraveling Together Podcast.
In this episode of the Unraveling Together Podcast, we are unpacking the concept of curiosity. Because “Curiosity May Have Killed The Cat”, but it will breathe life into you!. And I’m not talking about just the “hmmm, I wonder how that works” level of curiosity mind you. We’re talking channel your inner 3-year-old stalking ants carrying loads 20 times their size-level of curiosity.
When contrasted to passion, curiosity comes out on top every time. We dive into perfectionism a little too. She has a way of crashing many a party and needs a good calling out here and there.
It all boils down to this...when what you “do” for a living aligns with your reason for being alive, you are in your genius zone my friend!
Subscribe to this podcast and follow me on LinkedIn (@ Dr. Sam Graber) to stay looped in on the latest!
My Inner Rebel has never been a challenge to summon. We’re thick as thieves and have roused many rebellions in our 50 years together.
One super cool addition that has come on scene in the past few years is her sidekick…”I Don’t Give A BLEEP ” (IDGABLEEP). Now in some circles the BLEEP stands for “F” which I’m sure you can deduce stands for the four-letter word that causes some to tune out the message, so I won’t use it. I’ll stick to the BLEEP and let you complete the acronym in whatever way you see fit. For me, it is most definitely a resounding capital-F!
My inner rebel and her IDGABLEEP sidekick have been in full swing as of late. Their target: the ageism that taints the lives and sucks the joy out of so many women as they accumulate the wisdom that only age brings.
In this episode I share how I gave up the bottle after an epiphany in November 2019. Since that fateful day, I've not looked back once. Consider this one of the better choices I've made to date!
If you crave the kind of connection I talk about, plug into the Unraveling Together conversation by subscribing to this podcast and following me on LinkedIn. It is there we have some hearty conversations about navigating our midlife metabolism and menopause holistically. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-samantha-graber/
Perseverance is defined as the ability to stick to your goals and pursue them even in the midst of challenges and setbacks. And in midlife, boy are there some potential setbacks laying in wait. You may lose all of your assets, you may become physically ill, or you may encounter a million other obstacles on your journey toward success, but you continue to focus on your goal.
In this episode I share five simple things that you can do to learn about persistence and to build your endurance.
If you want to ensure you keep strengthening your perseverance muscle, plug into the Unraveling Together conversation with a quick “Subscribe” to this podcast and be on the lookout for the next episode to drop!
Making the decision is the easy part. No matter the subject at hand, deciding to do, or not do takes but a moment. It’s the follow through that brings along the difficulty, the resistance…and that furry little bugger that lives in our mind who has the attention span of…well.., a drunken monkey.
This little guy or gal can run amuck, steal the show, and tank our goals faster than a toddler hopped up on Mom’s coveted pumpkin spice latte. In short, s/he can take you off course in an instant.
By practicing mindfulness, you can improve every facet of your business as well as your life, while staying on track with your goals.
In this episode I’ll share my thoughts on mindfulness, how I practice it day-to-day and give you some simple “how-tos” to start your own mindfulness habit, or add to your current practice.
Follow me on LinkedIn (@DrSamGraber) for more practical tips for taming this endearing inebriated rascal.
Peter Gabriel songs pepper the soundtrack of my life. “Don’t Give Up” is among my favorite songs of all time. The depth of emotion in the lyrics, the heaviness in the pregnant pauses. His voice. Hers.
It gets me every time.
One song of his that pops into my head a fair amount as of late is, “Shock The Monkey”. I can’t help but belt out a line or two when typing “drunken monkey” as I write about resilience. “Shock The Monkey” doesn’t fit my current topic of resilience, but “Don’t Give Up” sure does, especially this line:
”Don’t give up, no reason to be ashamed.”
I marinated in shame for most of my life. It has taken decades to realize this fact and years to open the wounds to self-examination so I can avail to them what will help them heal. This has been among the most painful things I’ve done to date. And the most rewarding.
“Don’t Give Up” is all about resilience, as I experience it.
Resilience is an essential trait for the modern midlife woman no matter the roles she plays in life. It is an essential piece of our daily M.O. A Modus Operandi is a particular way or method of doing something, especially one that is characteristic or well-established. It can be habitual or deliberately thought through to break the cycle and establish a new habit.
In this episode, we’ll explore a few principles to help us become more resilient as we do this thing called life!
If this topic jives with you and you want to continue the conversation, follow me on LinkedIn @ Dr. Sam Graber. I live for authentic conversations, and that is what I am committed to bringing to you in each episode of the Unraveling Together Podcast. Subscribe now so you won’t miss a weekly episode.
The gloves are off in this hard-hitting episode of the Unraveling Together Podcast. Just because something is regurgitated ad nauseum, doesn't make it true. The Earth is not flat, and eating fat does not make you fat, in and of itself.
This particular nutrition myth really gets me riled up. There are many reasons for this response, but the main one is the fact that the whole low fat, no fat craze has left so much damage in its wake, especially for those of us who grew up in the thick of it!
By not eating (healing) fats we've wreaked havoc on our hormones, our brains, our guts...pretty much every facet of human life has been negatively affected by our war on dietary fat.
I don't hold my feelings back in this episode. And I truly hope it opens your eyes to the collateral damage caused by one of the most atrocious nutrition myths going..."Eating Fat Makes You Fat". Ugh! Face palm
If you want to know more means by which you can reset your metabolism at any age, subscribe to the Unraveling Together Podcast. There is so much more to unravel, together.
Your body has a built-in fuel gauge much like the one in your car. Instead of simply noting how much fuel is in the tank, the body’s fuel gauge determines whether we burn our food for energy or store it* as fat.
Insulin points the needle toward (E)mpty AKA “Energy” or (F)ull AKA “Fat”.
If our fuel gauge points toward (E), we burn what we eat for fuel. When it points toward (F), we store it for later. Those of us who are more (F) inclined feel jilted by our lot in the genetic lottery of life and envy these (E) folk.
I wouldn’t deliver this ‘less than stellar’ news without bringing along some good news.
Whether you are an (F) or an (E) camper, your “fix” remains the same. And it has better results than any pill Big Pharma could ever even dream of patenting.
Your one and only true “fix” is food.
What (and when) you eat is the be-all and end-all when it comes to insulin. Anything that increases insulin will make you store more than burn. Anything that decreases insulin will make you burn more than you store. You can literally transform your body, mind and life with your fork & knife. Any fork & knife will do.
Learn how to get your built-in fuel gauge pointed back in the (E) direction in this episode of the Unraveling Together Podcast.
Subscribe to plug into the conversation around optimizing your midlife metabolism and menopause holistically.
The deeper questions of life are rarely asked outside our own head. We choke down the feelings, often aided by a glass (or several) of wine before we hit the sack to try to sleep, yet again. All so we can get up the next day and “try” to answer the deeper questions we ask of ourselves, yet again. Now if you’re anything like the majority of us who ask the deeper questions of ourselves, you know that alone in your head is a scary place to look for answers.
The people who identify me as “their person” are women in midlife. My words resonate with those who have hit their 40s-plus and are asking themselves these deeper questions.
One such question...“Is this it?” This 3-word question gets asked of just about every facet of their life.
The specifics one can ask this question of go on and on. The thread that weaves them all together is that there comes this point in life when we realize we are not okay with how things are.
This “not okay-ness” can be surface level or it can be fathoms deep.
Let's explore this topic together in this deep-diving episode of The Unraveling Together Podcast. Subscribe to stay looped into the conversation.
Life as we know it can be stressful to say the least. Add to it the breakneck speed at which most of us operate, and it’s no wonder we have to jolt ourselves with caffeine or a sugar high multiple times a day.
We jump from one thing to another because we’re always behind the 8-ball with a never-ending row of deadlines in our future. Just when we think we’ve got it all handled, life hands us a reminder we do not, nor will we ever.
It’s often pure chaos.
It is easy to think you will feel invigorated if you just get some extra sleep, or a vacation. So why is it that even on the weekends, or possibly after some time away, we still feel rotten and exhausted?
All signs point to what we eat to provide fuel to our body and brain.
Learn how to energize both in this powerful episode of The Unraveling Together Podcast. Subscribe for more helpful tips for optimizing your midlife metabolism and menopause holistically.
Ahhh...the Holy Grail of fitness experts and obesity profiteers alike. We’ve all heard Conventional Wisdom’s reasoning behind the “eat every 2-3 hours” chant. “It will stoke your metabolic fire.” “You’ll have more energy.” And my favorite, “You’ll burn more calories”. Sorry to say, they’re all wrong.
Truth is, whether frequent or all at once, the body burns the same amount of energy (thermic effect of food or TEF) when digesting food. It accounts for about 10% of the total calories, on average. Whether you eat three 500 calorie meals and two 250 calorie snacks or one 2000 calorie meal per day, your body burns the same amount of energy as a result. Maybe you’ve been told that you’ll be less hungry if you have more frequent feedings. Unchecked, this makes sense. You know, “stoke the metabolic fire”.
This is simply not true.
Find out what IS true in this episode of the Unraveling Together Podcast.
Plug into all things Unraveling Together by following me on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-samantha-graber/) or by subscribing to my YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa4-eWSfidtTODb7nQSnYDg).
My latest musings, episodes and free resources can be found at www.drSAMgraber.com.
Look around, mental health issues are steadily on the rise. You can’t scroll your social media feed without some reference to mental health. Depression and anxiety are more prevalent than ever. Many midlife women are afflicted by some variation of mental health issues...could what we eat help our brain function and feel better?
I say "Yes, you betcha!" As do many of those researching how the blissful metabolic state of nutritional ketosis affects the brain and many things mental health.
While many limit the mental health field to psychiatry, there are neurological components to many mental health disorders. At the hub of your neurological system is your brain. The brain is a very powerful tool and it needs fuel to carry out its many functions.
I dive into the pool of brain bliss that is nutritional ketosis in this episode. Grab your suit and join me!
Plug into all things Unraveling Together by following me on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-samantha-graber/) or by subscribing to my YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa4-eWSfidtTODb7nQSnYDg).
My latest musings, episodes and free resources can be found at www.drSAMgraber.com.
Welcome back for the 5th and final episode in the Demystifying The Midlife Metabolism Podcast series. In this episode, I’ll share My Top 10 Midlife Metabolism Makeover Tips Letterman-Style no less. If you've not caught all of the episodes, be sure to do so ASAP...their links are below.
Let me save you the frustration of bouncing from "diet" to "diet". They're all one variation of the same. Dieting is not the answer. Healing your metabolism is.
Implement my Top 10 Midlife Metabolism Makeover Tips to prime your metabolic pump for transitioning into nutritional ketosis and healing your metabolism at a cellular level.
Devise a plan for implementing all 10 tips over the next few days. Don’t overthink it...embody the Nike Spirit and Just Do It!
Links for other 4 Parts to this 5 Part Demystifying the Midlife Metabolism Series:
Part One: https://youtu.be/f_g-zGTnLWY
Part Two: https://youtu.be/l1u9PBkcXLA
Part Three: https://youtu.be/vqMNQLQvDFs
Part Four: https://youtu.be/LfOuqmJbUEM
When I wrapped up the last episode, I said “In addition to finding your specific combination of carbs, proteins, and fats…you can amp up your ability to be in ketosis by not eating all the time.”
That is what I will introduce to you in this episode.
There are two sides to the fat loss coin, as I explain it. One is to stop eating the things that cause us to store excess energy in the long term storage locker. Along with this propensity to store fat, side one of the fat loss coin addresses our fasting insulin levels.
The second side of this fat loss coin is to burn the energy that’s just sitting in storage. We do that with targeted times of not eating. Otherwise known as fasting. You'll hear this tactic referred to as Intermittent Fasting (IF) and sometimes Time Restricted Eating (TRE).
No matter what you call it, it is a powerful strategy to implement into your healthy eating (and not eating) routine. Lean into the information I share with you herein. It may just change your metabolism for the better when you realize you can do "nothing" and still lose weight! I promise, it is NOT too good to be true!
I'd love to have you as a subscriber! While you're listening, please hit the SUBSCRIBE button to be notified when I drop new episodes every week!
Links for other 4 Parts to this 5 Part Demystifying the Midlife Metabolism Series:
Part One: https://youtu.be/f_g-zGTnLWY
Part Two: https://youtu.be/l1u9PBkcXLA
Part Three: https://youtu.be/vqMNQLQvDFs
Part Five: https://youtu.be/uqxtsuUZqf0
See you in episode 5 when I wrap it all up with a fabulous shiny purple bow!
Welcome back for episode 3 in my 5-part podcast series on “Demystifying The Metabolism …Why It Slows Down In Midlife And What You Can Do About It.”
In this episode I pull back the metabolic curtain to give you a behind-the-scenes look at a teensy, tiny powerhouse that lives inside of you. She is nicknamed "The Powerhouse" for she is the epicenter of all things energy. And I'm bringing her front and center so you are sure to have her on your mental map. Listen for the 3 things you need to provide her so she can do her thang and do it well!
If you missed episode 2, Taking Out The Metabolic Trash, be sure to check that out. In it, I introduced you to 4 things you could do to clean up your internal environment so your cells can do their job and start burning fat instead of storing it.
Please help others find us by subscribing to the Unraveling Together podcast and by sharing the love from your favorite listening platform. Currently on Google, Apple and Spotify.
Links for other 4 Parts to this 5 Part Demystifying the Midlife Metabolism Series:
Part One: https://youtu.be/f_g-zGTnLWY
Part Two: https://youtu.be/l1u9PBkcXLA
Part Four: https://youtu.be/LfOuqmJbUEM
Part Five: https://youtu.be/uqxtsuUZqf0
Join the conversation by following me on LinkedIn! https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-samantha-graber/
This is Part 2 in the 5-part series, "Demystifying the Metabolism… why it ‘slows down’ in midlife and what you can do about it. (No ‘Detox in a Box’ required.)" In this episode, I cover the first thing you must do to jumpstart your very own metabolism upgrade. There are 4 moving parts to Step #1: when done in tandem, you’ll maximize your efforts. No wasting time on fluff. This is a substance-only zone.
Step One is all about cleaning up our internal environment. In other words, “Taking Out The Metabolic Trash”.
Step #1 is #1 for a reason…if you don’t clean up the environment you cannot truly rebuild your metabolism.
Here's the app to check the "cleanliness" of your beauty products: https://www.ewg.org/apps/
Links for other 4 Parts to this 5 Part Demystifying the Midlife Metabolism Series:
Part One: https://youtu.be/f_g-zGTnLWY
Part Three: https://youtu.be/vqMNQLQvDFs
Part Four: https://youtu.be/LfOuqmJbUEM
Part Five: https://youtu.be/uqxtsuUZqf0
Have you ever misplaced something and looked frantically for it everywhere you could think to look? That's what many a midlife woman feels toward her energy, her ability to shed a few pounds and her libido. In this podcast episode, "Have You Seen My Metabolism? I Could Swear I Just Had It.", we will start the five-part conversation tackling many things metabolism, specifically for the midlife woman. I want to dial it back to the basics and prepare you for proclaiming 2022 as the year you END the war with your body…how does that sound?
This is Part One in the five-part series “Demystifying the Metabolism… Why It 'Slows Down' In Midlife And What You Can Do About It. (No 'Detox In A Box' Required.)"
In this podcast series, I aim to demystify the human metabolism and introduce you to the tools to help you upgrade your metabolism with real food. No pills, powders, potions nor salves on the menu! Seriously, no overpriced supplements required. What. So. Ever.
Now let me say something here…the end goal is not skinny in my book. The end goal is metabolic health. We come in all shapes and sizes, as determined by our genetics. Just as whether we have curly hair or straight. We can be metabolically healthy in every single shape and size, to a certain extent. When you’re healthy metabolically, you are headed toward a long and vibrant life. THAT is the end goal.
Let's kick off the series with "Have You Seen My Metabolism? I Could Swear I Just Had It!"
Links for other 4 Parts to this 5 Part Demystifying the Midlife Metabolism Series:
Part Two: https://youtu.be/l1u9PBkcXLA
Part Three: https://youtu.be/vqMNQLQvDFs
Part Four: https://youtu.be/LfOuqmJbUEM
Part Five: https://youtu.be/uqxtsuUZqf0
Finding your passion isn't always an easy thing to do.
However, if you want to be a successful business owner in the midlife station of life, time’s a tickin’! The time is now. Your future self will thank you.
Take the time to figure out what you are passionate about.
Starting with these 3 tips can help you discover your passion and put you on the path to success.
Plug into all things Unraveling Together by following me on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-samantha-graber/) or by subscribing to my YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa4-eWSfidtTODb7nQSnYDg).
My latest musings, episodes and free resources can be found at www.drSAMgraber.com.
Most “transformation” and self-development systems, books, programs, courses, seminars, etc. are good and they work on some level when applied, but they are incomplete. They don’t dive deep into who YOU are, what makes YOU tick and how to diffuse the ticking time bomb that continually derails YOU from what you really, really, really want in life. These three aspects are the clinchers. And they are uncovered in doing the work. One exceptional means for self-uncovery is the Enneagram. The Enneagram is a tool to help us address the operating system of our egos. In other words it helps us know what makes us tick and what makes us a ticking time bomb. And it gives us insights into how others operate as well.
Let’s uncover what your heart’s heart is trying to tell you. Listening starts with determining what language, so to speak, you are speaking to yourself.
Just as darkness is the absence of light, this emptiness inside is the absence of meaning. We must uncover that meaning and give to it the essence of life, to then nourish that emptiness into being whole again. This starts with a simple Enneagram exploration.
I’ve boiled down the process to four simple steps for you to follow. Grab that checklist from my Freebies page at www.drSAMgraber.com.
Plug into all things Unraveling Together by following me on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-samantha-graber/) or by subscribing to my YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa4-eWSfidtTODb7nQSnYDg).
Unraveling requires inquiry. It requires studying. Analysis. Sifting. And sorting. It requires letting go of expectations we placed upon ourselves and allowed others to pile theirs upon. It is not a passive event. Not in the least. The unraveling is not for the meek, nor the delicate. It requires chutzpah and heaping helpings of it!
In this episode we dive into some of the finer points of the midlife unraveling, together.
Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing insights from what’s brewing in the Unraveling Together (UT) community and extend to you a personal invitation to explore whether UT is a fit for you.
Plug into all things Unraveling Together by following me on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-samantha-graber/) or by subscribing to my YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa4-eWSfidtTODb7nQSnYDg).
My latest musings, episodes and free resources can be found at www.drSAMgraber.com.