What Have We Learned About Ourselves?

It’s time for the Super Bowl. Who are we rooting for? Usher, baby. When Usher plays the halftime show, we’re all winners.So, instead of Super Bowl talk, we’re talking soups and bowls. Does soup count as a meal? What’s our favorite bowl meals? We get into nutrition and simple food hacks to keep you nourished all winter long. Give this one a listen for lots of giggles and what we believe to be actually helpful meal suggestions!Hosts: Lauren Leavell + Maria Sylvester Terry | @laurenleavellfitness @vitamin_riContact: [email protected]: Nick Sylvester | @nickgodmodeArtwork: Brandi Wheeler | @stardustbyjuno

Do people actually change, or do they just become more of who they really are? To be honest, we aren’t sure and we aren’t answering that big question today. We do want you to take a moment in your day to acknowledge what you’ve learned about yourself lately. Even better, what do you LIKE about yourself?We walk through some of our favorite topics, like food, movement, routine, and style, and discuss the things we’ve learned about ourselves, especially coming out of our diet headspace eras. We hope this episode serves as a fun way to get to know us and as an example for a conversation you can have with yourself!Hosts: Lauren Leavell + Maria Sylvester Terry | @laurenleavellfitness @vitamin_riContact: [email protected]: Nick Sylvester | @nickgodmodeArtwork: Brandi Wheeler | @stardustbyjuno

Did you think Mardi Gras was just one day, too? Well, you’re not totally wrong. Mardi Gras is Fat Tuesday, but when you live in New Orleans, Carnival Season is weeks long. This episode is the result of a phone call in which Lauren asked Maria, “Wait… is my friend a Mummer?” The rest is for you to find out. As you may know, Maria is based in New Orleans and has adopted Carnival Season with great enthusiasm. She’s in multiple dance krewes, spends weeks creating costumes, attends practices for weeks, and… Lauren really had no idea.Lauren interviews Maria about her Carnival experiences, how she manages her movement routine with practices, and how community makes a huge difference when it comes to your relationship with exercise. We’re not saying joining a dance krewe will fix your relationship with movement, but we’re not saying it won’t!Hosts: Lauren Leavell + Maria Sylvester Terry | @laurenleavellfitness @vitamin_riContact: [email protected]: Nick Sylvester | @nickgodmodeArtwork: Brandi Wheeler | @stardustbyjuno

Be honest: are you having a happy new year? We’re back for Season 5, and that’s enough. Being back, being here, and keeping on with our lives is the win for us! In this episode, we first get into the details of what exactly happened in Season 4: our shortest season of all time. Mostly, this episode explores what we encourage you to unlearn about the New Year: expectations to be a different person, to achieve a new level of goals, and to feel industrious. The truth is: it is really enough to step into the New Year as you are. We share tangible next steps and reframes for embracing the New Year with a spirit of acceptance. In addition, we teach you something from our recent workshop - how to set intentions that make room for more of you instead of a New You.No promises, but you might feel better about the year ahead after this episode. Go give it a whirl and let us know. Hosts: Lauren Leavell + Maria Sylvester Terry | @laurenleavellfitness @vitamin_riContact: [email protected]: Nick Sylvester | @nickgodmodeArtwork: Brandi Wheeler | @stardustbyjuno

Welcome back to Rest Days! This is our second installment of Gadgets and Gizmos a’plenty and we definitely have who’s its and what’s its galore. There will DEFINITELY be thingamabobs. Is it an episode of entirely clickbait items? Maybe.We hope this episode brings some comical relief to the onslaught of devices and products we will be marketed throughout the holiday season. Some of them are luxury, others problematic, and some just won’t age well.Hosts: Lauren Leavell + Maria Sylvester Terry | @laurenleavellfitness @vitamin_riContact: [email protected]: Nick Sylvester | @nickgodmodeArtwork: Brandi Wheeler | @stardustbyjuno

Today, we’re interviewing two guests: our own Hormone Monsters. Navigating a menstrual cycle - be it regular AF or simply untrackable - can feel like filing taxes depending on the time of the month. As two people with some pretty frustrating Hormone Monster moments, we’re taking time to discuss PMS, PMDD, and what sets them apart. In this episode, we discuss the differences between PMS and PMDD, what it’s like to get a PMDD diagnosis, and a host of helpful strategies to support the stages of your cycle. Given our specialties, we talk a good bit about how movement and food can affect/be affected by that Hormone Monster. Hosts: Lauren Leavell + Maria Sylvester Terry | @laurenleavellfitness @vitamin_riContact: [email protected]: Nick Sylvester | @nickgodmodeArtwork: Brandi Wheeler | @stardustbyjuno

If there’s a topic that gets fitness fans talking, it’s that bench that never got a good wipe down by its last user. There are just some gym behaviors related to etiquette and boundaries that, well, have us thinking… maybe you should leave.There are also elements of etiquette that make gyms and studios special places. We’re covering the good, bad, and the sweaty on this episode of Rest Days. From bathrooms to music to classes and more, we cover the spectrum of healthful and not so healthful habits that can make or break your fitness experience. Hosts: Lauren Leavell + Maria Sylvester Terry | @laurenleavellfitness @vitamin_riContact: [email protected]: Nick Sylvester | @nickgodmodeArtwork: Brandi Wheeler | @stardustbyjuno

On this special episode of Rest Days, Lauren interviews a vampire (Maria), who has spent six months in anticipatory grief and recently returned from a month away from home to support her family.These experiences can turn our lives, routines, and habits upside down. How do you eat, sleep, move, and work when we feel like a total vampire?While we are no experts on getting through the suck, we do hope this episode shines a light for those of you in a dark time. This interview discusses self-care strategies and mindsets for those seasons of your life that, well, want to suck your blood.Maria is back from her vampire status to share thoughts and wisdom with you, and Lauren asks hard questions and reminds us she is the favorite daughter of Maria’s family (true).Hosts: Lauren Leavell + Maria Sylvester Terry | @laurenleavellfitness @vitamin_riContact: [email protected]: Nick Sylvester | @nickgodmodeArtwork: Brandi Wheeler | @stardustbyjuno

We’re bringing back HAGS, short for “have a great summer,” in this episode dedicated to summer shifts in routine and habits. The truth is… we aren’t all having a great summer. The earth is hotter than ever [literally though], the air quality is variable at best, and the social and emotional conditions are rough. This is a season and an era for extra intentionality and compassion for our bodies. Tune in for the ways we’re adapting to the summer season when it comes to sleep, nutrition, movement, and skin care. Hosts: Lauren Leavell + Maria Sylvester Terry | @laurenleavellfitness @vitamin_riContact: [email protected]: Nick Sylvester | @nickgodmodeArtwork: Brandi Wheeler | @stardustbyjuno

Or the alternative title "I have no problem being on my phone for hours and hours"The internet is gonna internet, y’all. We’re talking about what’s been trending on the internet lately, specifically health and fitness topics that are giving clickbait. Yes, you know what we’re talking about – mustard on everything, nootropics, 12/30/30, and more. As usual, we give our honest takes and provide nuance to otherwise nuanceless conversations we see on the internet. It’s not all bad, though – tune in for what we’re digging and what we’re skipping. Hosts: Lauren Leavell + Maria Sylvester Terry | @laurenleavellfitness @vitamin_riContact: [email protected]: Nick Sylvester | @nickgodmodeArtwork: Brandi Wheeler | @stardustbyjuno