Live from the Live Better recording studio! Bret and Jason are here this week on the Live Better podcast with Megan Young , who is in her 2nd year as High Performance Director of the Chicago Red Stars. With formal education in Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology, Adult Education, and Information Systems-Data Science and coaching from UNCW, Baylor University and Auburn University, Megan remains a life learner across new disciplines and continues to innovate within her field.

Listen in as Bret, Jason and Megan discuss movement, mobility, rate and force development, emotional management in athletes (and more!) and Megan’s innovative approach in her field.

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Show notes:

• [04:00-5:10] - About Megan Young
• [5:15-8:00] - Serving each individual athlete + fitness testing 
• [8:30-10:15] - Force plate testing/profile + the importance of collecting data 
• [10:15-11:00] - Taking care of your feet, David Goggins + “running a marathon and  everything is broken”
• [11:30 - 12:15 ] - Rate of force development, jumping and landing 
• [12:45 - 13:15] - Force velocity curve, training different profiles
• [13:15 - 17:05] - For the everyday individual, what is the most important data to track?
• [17:05 - 18:30] - Sleep + nutrition, Jocko Willink vs. person who needs 8 hours of sleep, high performing individuals on the world
• [19:00 - 23:00] - Emotional management in athletes, the perfect plan you never follow is useless
• [24:00 - 25:00] - To get to that next level, they have to stop saying YES to the easy thing, and accepting hard things thrown at you in life
• [25:00 - 26:45] - Seeking out discomfort that works - with pattern recognition 
• [27:12 - 31:00] - Megan’s morning routine
• [32:26 - 33:30]  Megan’s cancer journey and the importance of systematic support 
• [33:30 - 36:00] Pain - cancer treatment, car wreck, emotional trauma + creating a space specifically for pain
• [37:30 - 40:00] Jason’s pain tracker + chronic migraines 
• [44:15 - 44:30] Do something different, get a different input, get a different output to make a change to be who you want to be
• [45:40 - 47:45] Megan’s Best Day Ever! Purpose, water, training, surfing, sunlight, taking mornings slow!
• [48:00 - 48:48] Connect with Megan on Instagram (coach_megastrong) + Email and  listen to more of her story here
• [49:00] - Learn more about Beam here, THC-CBD to elevate your everyday

Live from the Live Better recording studio! Bret and Jason are here this week with Maggie Michalczyk (@onceuponapumpkin), a registered dietitian and recipe developer specializing in millennial nutrition. Listen in as Maggie goes into detail sharing her entrepreneurial journey becoming a registered dietitian, her philosophy around nutrition and ever-evolving relationship with food. Maggie talks about her mission, going back to the basics and simplifying nutrition, helping others implement sustained and constant nutrition into their everyday lives, giving them the knowledge on why food is important for their body.  

Maggie’s love of food and nutrition is showcased on her blog, as well as her desire to communicate health messages in a simple way that any one can utilize in their everyday lives. Maggie often contributes to many wellness outlets including Women’s Health, Shape, mindbodygreen and well + good. She is a frequent guest on The Jam, WGN News, and FOX TV in Chicago.  When she’s not cooking something with pumpkin, she’s doing different workout classes around Chicago and going out to eat with her boyfriend, Rob. Oh, and her dog’s name is Pumpkin too! 

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Show notes:

• [02:00-4:40] - Introducing Maggie Michalczyk, RDN (@onceuponapumpkin)
• [4:45-5:45] - Lifestyle X nutrition choices
• [6:00-6:15] - Pumpkin is available year round!
• [6:30-7:30] - Maggie’s journey prior to @onceuponapumpkin + working in PR with food brands 
• [7:40-8:30] - First pumpkin personal business project in the Fall with Simple Mills
• [8:30-10:00] - How Maggie met Bret Gornik + Jason Loebig 
• [11:00-12:40] - Maggie’s projects (Instagram, Recipe Books, TV Appearances, Nutrition Courses/Philosophy, Dietitians Connecting with Brands)
• [12:40-13:50] - Pushing nutritional message beyond pumpkin X Maggie’s nutritional philosophy
• [14:37-15:33] - Misconceptions on nutrition, people are quick to eliminate food groups (i.e. gluten and dairy free) + eating for longevity
• [16:30-17:20] - What is the food industry moving towards? That you are moving away from? Food brands attaching to supplements and integrating with products
• [17:30-18:15] -Plant based brands + products + education behind it and how others can adopt it in their lives 
• [19:00-20:45] - Thought of what you are eating, how and why you are eating it and your relationship with food 
• [20:50-22:45] - Toxic relationship with food + learning about your nutrition, relationship with food is evolving, stop associating good and bad foods, bring back to basics and have fun with it!  
• [26:00-28:30] - Research journals, credible information on food, Mind Body Green
• [29:30-30:30] - Foods for starting point for others looking to  try a new healthy recipe, healthy grain bowl and adding greens with whatever you are eating  
• [35:30-38:15]: Maggie’s Live Better Retreat reflection and her “Best Day Ever” mindset
• 39:00]: For more information on Maggie, visit onceuponapumpkinrd.com and @onceuponapumpkin on Instagram

Learn more about Vital and their products here.

Live from the Live Better recording studio! Bret and Jason are here this week on the Live Better podcast talking about rituals. Last episode we chatted about morning rituals and today’s focus is going to be on evening rituals. 

Whether that is before work, before play, before a weekend, before an event or whatever that may be for you, these rituals can be very regimented or sporadic. Listen in as Bret and Jason discuss their own evening rituals, what they are working on implementing and taking away to create more meaningful time in the evening to windown, relax, reflect and sleep.

Try incorporating Beam CBD into your evening routine using code 'LIVE BETTER'

Show notes:

• [03:30-4:55] - Evening rituals 
• [5:00-9:00] - Jason’s evening ritual intention 
• [9:00-10:30] - Is a “night-cap” a real thing?
• [10:39-11:00] - Matt Walker (Sleep is your superpower)
• [13:27] - Sleep cycle talk, get out of bed when you snap awake, don’t go back to sleep
• [15:06-16:35] - The battle of winding down and importance of a evening routine, best preparing yourself for sleep 
• [16:54-19:00] - Bret’s evening routine 
• [20:00-21:20] - Acupuncture mat benefit
• [21:31-24:00] - Bret’s evening routine continued
• [24:25] - Separating your environments (i.e. don’t watch TV before bed, it doesn’t help you sleep, same with the night cap) 
• [27:26] - How do you feel? How much do you have on your mind? 
• [30:22] - Natural light waking you up, waking up with no light, environment is informing you that it’s still time to sleep
• [31:00] - One thing that has helped evening routines (Beam CBD), aid to fall asleep but not a necessity to go to sleep
• [34:18] - Finding a breathing pattern that helps you relax
• [36:00] - Journaling to wind down, One Line a Day Journal
• [43:12]- Learn more about Beam here, THC-CBD to elevate your everyday

Live from the Live Better recording studio! Bret and Jason are here this week on the Live Better podcast talking about rituals. Last episode we chatted about what a ritual is, versus a routine and the difference between the two and benefits of both. Today’s focus is going to be on morning rituals. Whether that is before work, before play, before a weekend, before an event or whatever that may be for you, these rituals can be very regimented or sporadic. Listen in as Bret and Jason discuss their own morning rituals, what they are working on implementing and taking away to create more meaningful time in the morning to think, create and to just be.

Inquire and learn more about a Live Better wellness retreat.

Show notes:

• [02:28-9:00] - Jason’s morning routine, starting slower, and making it meaningful
• [9:15] - Idea of routine + getting SHIT done
• [13:00] - RIP Kobe. Tragedy is often a catalyst for others to make a change in their life
• [13:30] - Live Better Mission, giving back to the next generations + serving other people
• [18:35] - Gratitude practice
• [24:25] - Checking in with others via text and email + staying in touch with friends 
• [26:00] - The benefit of connecting and networking with others in person
• [30:00] - Creating space to think vs. regimented routine
• [31:00] - Managing your schedule and creating morning rituals that support that 
• [33:00] - Control group vs. experimentation, everything takes time
• [34:00] - What works for you in the morning? Thinking ahead of the game and prepping for the seasons and changes in our lives that come and go.
• [36:00]- Learn more about  a Live Better wellness retreat here, for access to the best in nutrition, wellness, movement, yoga and a driven community alongside you the whole time.