Pursuit of Wellness: Episode Summary
Episode: Mari Life Updates: Food Freedom, Fitness Beginnings & My Fertility Journey
Host: Mari Llewellyn
Release Date: December 12, 2024
1. Personal Life Updates
Fertility Journey Mari opens the episode by discussing her ongoing fertility journey. She shares her experiences with Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), mentioning her second round of the procedure and her emotional resilience despite previous setbacks.
“I don’t feel obsessed about it. I’m definitely sensitive to it... it’s always so nice hearing from you guys about your experiences and just feeling accepted in that way.” [04:30]
Mari emphasizes the importance of having a supportive team, including her doctor, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, and her close-knit community, which provides her with strength and encouragement.
Relationship with Greg Mari provides insights into her relationship dynamics with her husband, Greg. She highlights how they balance their professional and personal lives, sharing simple yet sacred routines like having dinner together every night.
“When we’re in Austin, like we make a point of planning our weekends out. We have a happy hour with friends. So on the weekend, a lot more time.” [31:15]
Living in Austin Having recently relocated to Austin from Los Angeles, Mari reflects on her reasons for the move. She appreciates Austin's community vibe, which aligns with her personal and professional goals, especially their partnership with Nutribullet.
“It’s been a fantastic partnership... my podcast studio is out of the Nutribullet headquarters. Honestly, it’s probably my favorite place I’ve ever lived in my life.” [39:20]
2. Overcoming Challenges
Horse Riding Fall Mari recounts a traumatic horse riding accident that significantly impacted her physically and emotionally. She details the incident, her immediate physical aftermath, and her journey to regain confidence in horse riding.
“I was in shock, like shake. My body was shaking for days afterwards. It was probably the closest near-death experience I feel like I’ve ever had.” [20:45]
Mari explains her resilience by quickly returning to horse riding, embodying the adage, "get back on the horse."
“I made sure I got back on a horse within a week. It’s like, get back on the horse, get back in the saddle because otherwise you’ll never get back in again.” [22:10]
3. Fitness Journey and Recommendations
Fitness Beginnings Mari shares her initial steps into fitness, highlighting the importance of learning proper form and building a strong foundation through weightlifting.
“Go to some beginner weightlifting classes because I think when you learn the foundation of weightlifting, it really helps you in absolutely everything.” [25:35]
She recommends beginner-friendly workout classes, emphasizing compound movements to enhance overall exercise efficacy.
Current Fitness Routine Mari discusses her current fitness regimen, incorporating Pilates and weightlifting while moderating high-intensity training to balance her body's needs during her fertility journey.
“I’m doing Pilates once or twice a week, weightlifting about three to four times a week, but not high interval training.” [44:10]
4. Dietary Freedom and Nutrition
Overcoming Dietary Restrictions Mari reflects on her past struggles with dietary restrictions due to acne, which led her to adopt a minimalist diet focusing solely on meat and vegetables. Over time, with gut health improvements, she regained the freedom to enjoy a more varied diet without exacerbating her skin condition.
“I have more food freedom now than I ever had because I was so scared I wouldn’t even get coffee out.” [29:50]
Nutrition Philosophy Her current approach centers on a protein-forward diet with whole ingredients, emphasizing the importance of nutrition without the constraints that previously felt orthorexic.
“My value set is protein forward, whole ingredients, nutrients. Nutrition is so, so, so important.” [30:20]
5. Business and Entrepreneurship
Launching a Business Mari shares her entrepreneurial journey, highlighting the pivotal role of Shopify in launching and scaling her businesses. She recounts the excitement of early sales and the growth milestones achieved with Shopify's support.
“Shopify made it so easy to launch a business... it really was a life-changing tool for us.” [35:15]
Advice for Entrepreneurs Mari advises aspiring business owners to start without waiting for perfect conditions, emphasizing the importance of taking action and leveraging platforms like Shopify to build and brand their ventures.
“Do not wait for permission. Just start because you have value to offer the world.” [38:45]
Growing an Online Community She emphasizes building trust within an online community through consistent, valuable, and authentic content. Mari underscores the significance of being real and candid to foster genuine connections.
“Build trust with your community. Put free information out there, keep putting up content, connect, be real, be candid.” [46:30]
6. Overcoming Health Challenges
Battling H. Pylori Mari discusses her battle with H. Pylori, a gut bacteria that was undetected in initial lab tests. She explains the challenges of diagnosing such infections and the importance of persistent testing and comprehensive health assessments.
“Certain bacteria can be really difficult to find in lab work... they can hide under layers of other things.” [48:50]
Her treatment led her to utilize Bloom Colostrum, a supplement that supports gut health, showcasing the importance of targeted nutrition in her overall wellness journey.
“Bloom Colostrum is... full of gut regenerating nutrients. It can be so good for hair, skin and nails, immunity, gut health for me.” [14:10]
7. Recommendations and Tips
Red Light Therapy Mari shares her enthusiasm for red light therapy, highlighting its benefits for skin health, anti-aging, and inflammation reduction. She recommends the Bon Charge red light face mask for its efficacy and user-friendly features.
“Use it for 10 to 20 minutes every single day... it won’t interrupt your sleep.” [33:55]
Fitness Equipment She recommends the 8 Sleep mattress topper for temperature control, catering to different sleep preferences within her household.
“I use an 8 Sleep to temperature control our mattress. If you guys want to use POW for 200 off, you can totally use that.” [40:35]
Nutrition Products Mari endorses Maui Nui Venison for its ethical sourcing and high protein content, aligning with her nutritional values and taste preferences.
“Maui Nui Venison offers healthy, delicious and ethical meat delivered straight to your door.” [36:20]
8. Future Plans and Events
Holiday Plans Mari shares her excitement for hosting a holiday party in her Austin home and hints at forthcoming content like a holiday gift guide focused on wellness products.
“I’m going to do a whole episode on it. I’m also asking for a horse trailer... I hope I find a horse trailer under the tree.” [49:10]
Community Events She hints at organizing events for her community, such as an Austin Connection event for Power Girls, aiming to foster stronger bonds and collective wellness activities.
“We are planning one... we just do a walk all together on the trail. We get some smoothies, take some photos, make it really cute.” [50:05]
9. Advice for Trying to Conceive
Mari offers comprehensive advice for listeners embarking on their fertility journeys, emphasizing the importance of thorough testing and mental preparation.
Physical Preparations She advises getting essential tests like AMH levels, follicle counts, sperm analysis, hormone levels, and genetic testing to understand any underlying issues before beginning the conception process.
“Get your AMH tests done, check your follicle count, get your partner’s sperm tested, get your hormones tested.” [43:00]
Mental Preparations Mari underscores the need to manage expectations and maintain kindness and grace towards oneself to minimize stress and avoid obsession during the trying to conceive journey.
“Lower the pressure, lower the expectation... be okay with going a bit slower.” [44:50]
10. Final Thoughts
Mari closes the episode by expressing gratitude for her listeners' support and encourages them to engage with the podcast community through subscriptions and reviews. She reiterates her commitment to providing valuable wellness insights and personal updates.
“Thank you so much for asking everything you did. I really appreciate it... I love you guys so much and I'll see you in the next one.” [52:30]
Conclusion
In this candid solo episode, Mari Llewellyn delves deep into her personal and professional life, offering valuable insights into her fertility journey, fitness beginnings, dietary freedom, and business ventures. Her transparency about overcoming challenges, such as a significant horse riding fall and battling gut health issues, provides inspiration and practical advice for listeners navigating similar paths. Mari's recommendations on fitness, nutrition, and wellness tools further enhance the episode's value, making it a comprehensive guide for those seeking holistic well-being.