038: Bridging Humor and Health With the Almost 30 Podcast Girls With Sahara Rose

Namaste, it's Sahara Rose. And welcome back to the Highest Self podcast, a place where we discuss what makes you your soul's highest evolvement. How are you guys? I have been very busy working on my upcoming cookbook book, Eat, Feel Fresh. And I'm so excited to share this with you. I'll be heading to India at the beginning of December, and we'll be traveling most of December doing photography in Jodhpur, in Varanasi, and different cities throughout India, which I'm so excited for because have not been back there in three years. And I'm just really, really just stoked to bring this new version of Ayurveda to you. This book is going to have my view on Ayurveda, which is not the exact same as traditional Ayurveda. So I'm really just excited to bring this whole new side to Ayurveda that you've never seen before. One that's modern, playful, young, contemporary, and just showing that Ayurveda doesn't have to look like just one thing. It doesn't mean that you have to only eat Indian food or you have to even just eat lentils or grains or any of that stuff. Stuff. In fact, I'm going to be having paleo recipes, autoimmune protocol recipes, all sorts of things done with an Ayurvedic perspective. Because I don't believe that Ayurveda is a diet, but rather a guideline to look at your food. And I'm making most of the recipes tridosic. So, you know, one of the biggest questions I get from people is, well, how do I cook for, you know, my family? You know, my husband is a pitta and I'm a vatan. My kids are kapha. How do I manage that? So I've been working really hard in making the recipes. Try doshik, so you can cook the same food and maybe make minor adjustments, whether it's like leaving out the tomatoes on the side or something like that. So it can work for everyone in your family. So stay tuned. And if you don't have a copy of my first book, Idiot's Guide to Ayurveda, I definitely recommend picking it up. It is now available in all of the Barnes and Nobles is so you can find them, just walk in and get them. And it really has blown me away just the amount of healing this book has done for people. So if you've been on the fence, you're not sure if it's for you. I really recommend just looking through the book going near Barnes and Nobles, peeking through and I'm sure you're going to find lots of amazing stuff that you'll really, really resonate with. So the last announcement that I have is that I will be doing more my official book launch event at Tantris Yoga in Hollywood on November 19. So tantrus yoga is Russell Simmons Yoga Studio. Russell Simmons, if you know, was a hip hop producer and now is a huge yogi and he's been a vegan for 20 years and he's just really committed to bringing the yogic arts to, to the mainstream. And he has a beautiful yoga studio in Hollywood that literally looks like ancient India. It's just so stunning there. It reminds me of being back in, in Rajasthan. So I will be doing my book launch there. He will be leading a meditation. It's going to be a full fun day with a yoga class, followed by Cafe Gratitude Vegan Brunch, which is just the best vegan restaurant in la. And then a meditation and Ayurveda workshop by me. And he'll be there. Bok Chopra might come as well. We're seeing, he's, he's really going to try to be there and it's just going to be such an amazing and beautiful day. So make sure you buy your tickets. If you haven't gone on my website, iamsaharos.com events you'll see it right there on the top menu. You'll be able to pick up your ticket, bring your friends, bring whoever you want. The more the merrier. There's a lot of space there. They have a beautiful garden. It's like a really big room. So come join us. If you're not from la, this is the perfect time to plan your trip. If you want to hang out with me, Russell and potentially Deepak, you gotta come make it. So November 19th, the yoga class starts at 12 o'. Clock, the brunch is 1:30 to 3 and my talk is 3 to 4. So I'm so excited to see you there. And I will be planning a New York book launch at the Deepak home base, which is above ABCV restaurant, probably in February, though that is not finalized the dates. But there will be a New York book launch as well. So I'm so excited. Whatever coast you're on, to spend some time with you. Now let's get to this week's podcast episode. So the almost 30 girls are literally amazing. I was interviewed for their podcast a few months ago now and since then we've become so super, super good friends. So the Almost 30 podcast is inspired by life's transitions and just really transitioning between your 20s and 30s, because, as we know, these two decades are so different, but they really make it fun and just inspirational. And they're hilarious. You're going to hear them throughout the podcast. They're just really funny, down to earth girls, but also really, like, passionate about educating people about spirituality and wellness and alternative therapies. And, I mean, they have amazing spiritual speakers come on their podcast, like me, of course, but Alexandra Roxo and Sophie Jaffe and so many great people that I just absolutely love are on their podcast. So for me, listening to it is like, oh, yeah, like, hang out with the crew. And like, these girls really just keep it real. They keep it raw. They're unreserved, which is what I really like about them. It's not like one of those podcasts that feels really scripted or like they wrote out all the questions before, and it's like they just flow. So this episode is us flowing. They came over to my house.

Welcome, girls. I am so excited to have you here on the Highest self podcast. This is such a treat that I am now able to interview you. And this is my first interview that I've done with someone who's interviewed me, and now I'm interviewing them back. So I'm so grateful to have you girls here.

Yeah, we're so excited. We're actually very high up right now, and I'm like, in heaven.

We're in Sahara's penthouse. It is so beautiful, and we're so happy to be here. We loved interviewing you, so we feel lucky to be on your part podcast.

Oh, thank you so much. And the first question that I ask to everyone that comes on is, what makes you your highest self?

What makes me.

And this is Krista talking.

This is Krista. So this is Krista. I have, like, the less sexy voice of the two of us. But what makes me feel like my highest self would be being authentic to who I am. So just being completely myself and not really feeling influenced or impacted by other people's opinions and just always being true to myself.

Beautiful. That's a good one. I feel like my highest self when I am sharing my talents in a, like, authentic way. I feel like sometimes we, like, try to fit a mold and what people want to hear, see, or receive in terms of content or talent or anything like that. So I think just sharing authentically and not really worrying about your audience or who's going to see it, you know, assuming that if it's real, that people are Going to connect.

Absolutely. And what I love about the niche that you guys have created that I have never seen before is you take wellness, spirituality, this world, and you make it super funny and relatable and grounded. And I think, like, that's what the world needs right now. So I'd love to hear about your journey of how you came up with almost 30 podcasts and how. How basically you discover that this need is needed to be there and you will be the ones to fill it up.

So I don't know if we're necessarily the ones to fill it completely up, but thank you. That means a lot. That's really what we mean to do, is take the world of LA and kind of what seems to be unattainable or unapproachable or hard to digest in health and wellness and make it funny and fun and interesting, because if we're not laughing or having fun, it's kind of pointless to us. But almost 30 came about just from conversations that Lindsay and I had about our transition from our 20s to our 30s. So we are both approaching 30. Lindsay just turned 30. So we realized that from the time we were 20 to now, there had been so many transitions and changes that we had gone through related to our bodies, to health, to wellness, to fitness, career, dating and relationships, that we felt like there wasn't a place for people to come together and kind of share in those growing pains and learn from each other. So we really wanted to create the podcast to be a platform and jumping off point for a community that we've created of almost 30 nation of women, of men, of people that can really come together and share their stories, share, you know, their growing pains, but also to learn something on the weekly podcast podcast that we host. So you as a great example, like, a lot of our listeners hadn't really heard about Ayurveda or a lot of what you teach. So it was so nice to have you on and just help really ground them and help them understand something that's really going to change their lives. So that's the concept and that's really where almost 30 came about.

Yeah. And we just talking about, like creating a podcast in general, I mean, we had no idea how to do it. It was. It was daunting. But I mean, Krista looked at me, she's like, do you think we could a podcast? I was like, I don't know, but let's like, let's try it. So we were literally for six months recording on the floor of our closets because you get the best Sound in the closets. And it was. It was fun. And a lot of those episodes will not ever see the light of day. Maybe we'll do a blooper episode one of these days. But it was so great because we just started something, and I hadn't in a long time started something and really stuck with it. I mean, when we released September 1st of last year, we would release every single week. We didn't take a week off. There was no excuses. We really felt connected. And I think partly it was because of the community that was starting to form so quickly, and we were like, oh, my God, we have to do this for our people. We can't miss a week. They want the content and they're asking questions and they want to be a part of this. So, yeah, it's just I. It was a lesson for me, and I know for Krista, too, like, that, you know, if. If we feel really passionately about something and pull to something, just starting is, like, is the number one first step. And not looking back and think, well, I could have done it better. It's like, yeah, we. Yeah, of course we could have done it better. But that's the point. Thank God. It's getting better and better every week, and we're learning so much.

That's so amazing and so inspiring to so many people who have an idea of something, like getting their voice out there and, you know, it's just starting. Even. Even if it's in your closet, if it's on your phone, if it's just a conversation that you never even put up, but it's like getting yourself into that habit. So the idea for a podcast, so you guys were having these conversations yourselves, and you felt like more people could learn from them. And then how did you come up with, like, the wellness aspect of it?

I think it's been. It's like in our blood kind of. We've always been, you know, really into health and wellness. Lindsay as a soul cycle instructor, she's in that realm, you know, every single day, a few times a day. I've been vegan for a long time. I've always been interested in staying healthy and kind of connecting to my body, especially since I moved to LA and I really stopped drinking and I stopped doing drugs and stuff like that. I wasn't like a drug addict, but casually I would do them. So through, like, a spiritual journey, it's really intersects with wellness. So as I went on my spiritual journey, I met up with wellness, and it's become a passion of ours. So also, in la, we have a great access to tons of people that can really help us learn more about wellness and share that with our community.

Yeah, and I. Both Chris and I lived in New York before we moved to la and we didn't realize that we were feeling like, you know what I mean? Like, it's just. I think you get in that. That grind mode and we're working intensely and the city itself is just so Dr. Training. And so whenever you have free time, it's like, oh, let's go to a bar. Oh, let's meet up, let's drink this. And do you know what I mean? You're not really in tune with, like, your body's vibration. So I think out here we've just. I mean, there's literally more space, and also we've given ourselves a little bit more space and time to breathe and feel and think and not. Not be so, like, bombarded by that, like, really oppressive energy. And it's helped us to connect with actually how we feel or how we.

Want to feel and have you guys. So were you working in Soul Cycle before in New York, or is that.

Something that came when you moved to la?

Yeah, I was in New York. I was riding as a. As a writer for a while and just fell in love with it and didn't think about becoming an instructor. I just loved writing. And then an opportunity came along, so I auditioned and it was great because I was working in the bars late at night, you know, I was auditioning during the day, pursuing acting. It was a beautiful, like, oh, let me swoop in and take the place of, you know, the bar. Life is really draining. It's. I'm not getting enough sleep. I'm. My soul is being sucked like, every.

It's just.

It's hard. It's very hard. And so it was wonderful. Was a beautiful, like, placeholder. And then, yeah, they moved me out here three months after I became an instructor. So I was teaching in New York for three months and then they asked me to move to la. And it was meant to be. I mean, I've always wanted to be out here. I just didn't know how or when. And this was my how. And I was like, okay, let's go.

Like, that's so perfect.

Yeah.

And Chris, did you. Did you move around that same time?

I was actually, I think, a year after you. Yeah. So, yeah, Lindsay was in New York a little bit longer than me, around five years. And I was in Chicago for four years, was in New York for two, and then Lindsay moved and then I was a year after her, so I've been here for like two years. So we kind of followed each other, which is nice.

Amazing. And were you working in like a corporate job or more of a wellness thing back Corporate, Yeah.

So I started in management consulting, which is like in finance management consulting, which is as sexy and fun as it sounds, pretty mundane, but started there, my corporate job, then moved into digital advertising. Kind of been in that space ever since. So I haven't necessarily worked directly in like a wellness company. But it's kind of fun actually that my jobs in the corporate world, you know, they aren't. It's not exactly my passion, but you can find the benefits within whatever you do. So I've really managed to do that and it's really helped me to have a really nice business savvy sense.

Yes.

That I've applied to our business. So that's like another benefit that I take from it is like my ability to communicate on a business level in my entrepreneurial life too.

That's so amazing. And something that I always recommend is like start your side gig, you know, like even if you're working doing something you don't like during the day, just start like in your free time, on the weekends, record a podcast, this and that. And you just don't know where that.

Road will leave you eventually.

If people have, I mean, I hate, you know, I know everyone's life is different and I'm not a mother, you know, I don't have children and I'm not married. But people have more time than they think, you know. And I think me and Lindsay really max out our days of getting as much as we can done. And I work a 9 to 5. I have my podcast, I have the blog. And if you really put your mind to it and you structure your day so that you're not wasting time doing stuff that you know that's not going to benefit you, you can get a lot done. And I was working at a job, I moved to LA and then I quit that job and I was going to pursue the blog and podcast full time and I moved back to having a job because I can do it all, you know, I can have them three and at some point I'll be doing both. But it was really much more beneficial for me to have the stable income and have that job bringing it in so I could take the pressure off of the podcast and blog. You know, you want to be very careful about your creativity. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, she really talks about that, but you don't really want to pressure it to be everything for you, you know, to be making money for you, to be fulfilling you every single day, to be providing everything for you until it's ready. So, yeah, I would completely recommend anyone to try as long as you can, to pursue that side gig and make sure that you're really dedicated to it too.

That's such wonderful advice and I think inspiring for so many people listening who want to do something a little more creative and they feel like, oh, if I can't quit my job, I might as well not start. And it's. You can actually do so much more than you can even imagine.

Yeah, people need to like time track to, you know, kind of like writing down every single day what you're spending time on and being really conscious about it. You know, maybe you're going like a lot of people, if you're going to bed too late, you're going to bed at midnight. What are you doing from 9pm to midnight? Are you. I'm. A lot of people maybe are doing something productive, but it could be tv, it could be Instagram, it could be something that you could really learn to, like, cut out of your day, you know?

Absolutely.

Yeah. I was just gonna say Chris is so good at that. And I, I think I've learned to.

From her.

How to get as much done as possible with the time you have. And she talks about like gamifying your day and really seeing like, okay, in this hour, can I get, you know, this done, this done, this done? And if you really plan it out and you, you know, it's not this freak out mode. It's like, okay, like, I do have enough time to get it done.

Let's go, let's start.

It's like not spending time thinking about it.

It's just doing it, doing it.

And I've definitely learned to do that.

Yes.

And I think that's something, Lindsay, the gamify thing, something we both do, it's like, okay, so for an example, so what is gamify? So, yeah, to gamify your day or to just gamify something is to make it a game. So to really just make it a game. So as an example with that, like, if I get home from my workout at 8am and I have a call for work at 9am, what five things can I get done in that time? Or if I finish a call 15 minutes early for work, I'm like, okay, cool, I have 15 minutes. I can knock out three emails and then be on my next call. So it's almost Like, I see the game and everything with my time, where I'm like, wow, I have eight hours in my day. I wonder if I can get meditation done twice, if I can do my ayurvedic practices in the morning before I go to work, if I can work out. It's kind of just making it a lot more fun instead of seeing everything as a drag and kind of like keeping yourself flat footed where you're not making quick decisions.

Totally. I love that. And I think like a lot of people, they might be like, oh, over scheduling. That's like getting rid of your creativity, but it's actually enabling your creativity because you're allowing space for it. If you're just kind of wasting time, you know, I waste a lot of time. I definitely don't gamify my life and it's something that I now, with more and more things that I'm doing, need to do. You know, you have no choice because if you want to be able to do it all, you have to see your time as this really precious resource.

I don't. So I completely agree with you. And sometimes I do wonder, like, but you have, like, you get downloads though, in your space. So sometimes. So what me and Lindsay do is very good. And I feel like parts of it, people could definitely apply to their life and really see a benefit to. But then there is a part of us where we think that if we allowed more space in our life, we would have more creative downloads. Like, I don't even know what I would do if I had, you know, a day of nothing. And it kind of scares me to think about.

We pray for them, but we, but we also like, get nervous because we're like, okay, so what does this mean? We're not moving forward in what we're doing. But I do think we need them. Like, we don't know we need them, but we definitely need them.

Right?

Even if it's just us, you know, leaning out the day, meaning taking away. If Chris has a day off from her 9 to 5. And I don't have any soul cycle, I mean, it would be a dream day if she and I could sit down for eight hours and do podcast stuff and brainstorm and really curate the next few months and what it would be like in our dreams, you know what I mean? So really taking that time and we will be able to do that on a consistent basis coming up. But yeah, I mean, it's hard. It's really hard when you're in that mode of do, do, do, do, do, produce, produce, Produce.

Right.

To slow down.

For sure.

You know, we worry. I mean, I'm not in a relationship, but I, I do worry about that when I finally am. Finally. But when I am, you know. Like.

Right.

Am I going to be able to manage that? You know, I know it's just a challenge in general for people to do, but yeah, for sure.

And I think it's finding that balance. Like if you like Tim Ferriss's four hour work week, it's like pound it all out and like he does the four hours a week, but you could do four hours a day and then so you can have that space to just like see what comes up. And it's just like having that yin and yang balance. And I think a lot of people are like stuck on one side because the people that I knew, the spiritual people, it's like they didn't produce anything. All these ideas and the ideas go away and then on the other side it's just, it's just producing and then not thinking. So I think everyone's like really just striving to have that balance completely. So what has it been like for you guys? You guys have interviewed so many people. Like the people that we see on blogs and mindbody Green and this and that. You guys have sat down and had conversations with them. So what has that experience been like for you?

I think it's. I mean that's the. My favorite thing in the world, you know, my favorite thing is to ask questions and to learn from people and to be inquisitive and to kind of pull a story from someone. And I feel like something that's been kind of sticking out to me as a common thread is how interesting it is that we've had really big guests, we've had really small guests, we've had, you know, different sizes of audiences, whatever. But sometimes it's. It's oftentimes the people that are most unexpected for me that really blow me away and show up, you know, like the people that may not be big names someplace oftentimes have the most interesting and unique story because it hasn't been told yet. So if you have a really big name, you know, I can repeat some of the biggest people's stories right now. Like I know their stories from start to finish. They kind of have the same message, which is important. You need to have consistent messaging. But oftentimes too, if we're interviewing the people that are a little bit smaller, it's like we're getting the first look at like their beautiful and amazing story. And that's like, the best. I think that's like, one of the best parts of what we do.

And to also just. It's great if we can have them in person and to really connect with them. And, you know, we hold them, all of our guests up here and we admire them. That's why we asked them to come on. But part of, like, how we conduct our interviews is having it be really relaxed and flow, and we want to learn more about them and their stories. So, you know, we. We just had. And the episode will be out in a couple of weeks. Sophie Jaffe on And I think a lot of people would expect her to talk about certain things, like her philosophy, brand and. And health and wellness and being mom and all that. We do touch on that. But she also went into talking about, you know, the challenges with her marriage and, and all of that.

And I love her vulnerability.

It's insane.

And we. And I didn't. I didn't know that part of her story. I kind of wanted to, like, learn about it because I know it had been written about, so I didn't read that. And, yeah, it was just so beautiful. So just to connect, like, human to human, you know, Like, I think sometimes you can have a guest on and get nervous because, like, oh, my God, they're going like, I about them and they were on the show and it's like, it's. It's so intimidating, but it's just another human being, you know, following their passion and truth. Just, like, having you on, it was so fun and so flow and inspiring. And I can see, like, myself and your journey too. Like, you know, I'm like, oh, my God. So she went through that. Oh, my. I'm going through that right now, you know, like, and she's. She is where she is now. So there's. There's hope and it's just so fun. We have so much fun.

That's so amazing and exactly. I think, you know, we all have so many of the same things in common, and all we see on Instagram and social media is, like, the end goal of, like, oh, she came out with the book. She has a wellness brand. And we don't see all of the things going on, like, behind closed doors to get there and are still going on even when you're there.

And that's kind of like what we want to talk about. Like, sometimes Lindsay and I will have interviews or we've had not. Sometimes we had them before where it's kind of like, it's too perfect and we need more of Like, a story. So, like, we're kind of looking for the grit or like, like, yeah, but what really sucks, we'll be like, what sucks about what you do? Like, what's hard about it? Like, and not, you know, it's not a negative turn. It's more being realistic and honest with the audience. Because if we're only seeing the end product on Instagram, we're only seeing the best of the best on the Internet. We really need to know, like, what's behind closed doors, and that's where the real story lies. So I think that's been really interesting for us too.

So let's talk about it. Well, we were talking about it before the podcast. What's sucking in Wellness right now? Oh, good one. Where to start?

I have a lot to say. This is Krista again. Write this down. I've been thinking lately, like, it feels like I can never stop. So I'm like, there's always something. You know what I mean? There's a never enoughness that's a little frustrating where I'm like, okay, well, I just got this done, but I want to get this done. Like, you know, there's 100 million beauty treatments, there's 100 million, like, products, vitamins. Like, it just is a bottomless pit. And like, in la, it's amazing. And I. We're so lucky that we're inspired and around people that are so health conscious. Like, every time I leave, I'm like, I just need to be around my people that get it, that respect their bodies. But then there is a limit where it's kind of becoming unapproachable and unattainable. There's like a. A part of wellness that really there's. You just can never get there. Everyone's doing more than you or someone's doing, buying more of whatever than you, and it's just a little hard. For sure. Yeah.

And I think there's a lack of balance. You know, I think we've become so obsessed with the products and the practices and the programs, and if we. And if we fall off of those practices, programs, and not taking our supplements and all of that, then all of a sudden the stress and the anxiety and that, like, low vibration starts to set in. And then all of a sudden we're like, undoing all the good that we're trying to do. So I think really in the process of being as well as you can be, finding that balance, being super forgiving in the moments or in the days when you want to go down to sidecar, donuts and have a donut, you know, or if you want to do xyz, whatever it is. But I think finding balance and also finding balance. You know, I work at Soul Cycle and just in the fitness realm, and both Krista and I have been trying to do this. It's hard for me because it's part of my job, but I haven't been doing as many hit workouts outside of Soul Cycle, and Krista has done as well, and it's made such a difference. I felt like I had to. I was like, I have to maintain this like, like, like this grit and this, like, intensity in my workout. And like, I need to have this type of body. And I was just. I mean, my adrenals were just so shot. And they. They still are. I'm like, you know, doing my best to get them back to normal, but it's, I think, finding balance too, in that in your workout. It's okay if. If you just want to take a walk tomorrow, you know, if you want to just do an easy yoga flow. I almost, like, on days like yesterday, I didn't work out at all. It was really nice. But I almost hear my body being like, thank you. Like, don't, don't force it. Don't feel like you have to get up and, like, go run the stairs. Like, you're fine. It's fine to take a day. And I think, you know, a little bit more balance, a little bit more forgiveness, a little bit more breath would help everyone kind of maintain this wellness that they want to maintain for a longer period of time. You know, you can't maintain the five hit workouts a week forever. It's impossible. You know, and even like Ayurveda, it's like, you know, you do your best every day, and if you fall off one day and you notice your body feels different, thank God that your body is so in tune and sending you messages that, hey, what you were doing was really good. Like, keep on track there. It's okay. Fell off.

Like, let's.

You know what I mean? Just being very, like, light in that way.

Absolutely. And I think, like, right now with wellness, like, a lot of the people we follow, it's. It's what they do full time. So we're like, oh, how can I have, like, a bath with, like, rose petals and then like, make a smoothie bowl with like, 10 layers of different fruits and, like, you know, do this and that? It's like, that's because they're getting paid for it. It's all they're doing.

All day.

You know, if I also was getting paid to make smoothies, I'd make 50 layers, you know, But. But I have books to write. Yeah, exactly. So it's like, we can't compare ourselves with these people that that's their job. It's like saying, oh, like we're comparing.

Ourselves to a model.

Like, she's getting paid to work out and has a 10 nutritionists on her staff, you know, So I completely agree.

What do you think is, like, going on in wellness?

Well, the affordability thing that we were talking about and just how everything has just gotten so expensive and there's just so many, you know, things on your shopping list that an average person cannot afford to, like, have, like, you know, at least a hundred dollars a month on just supplements. That's what a lot of people are spending. And then have like an acupuncturist that's like 200 an hour, and then a functional medicine doctor that's like 500 an hour. Like, this is like insane. And we're exposed to it because in la, it's celebrity culture and a lot of celebrities are able to do that. But then we think, oh, if I can't, then I must not be well. And it makes us give up. So I think just going back to the breath, all the free things that we were talking about of, like, walking outside, like, you know, even if you want to exercise going upstairs, you don't need to go to like a $35 boutique hit class. It can be something really easy. And another thing that I want to ask you about, Chris, that I just read your blog post about was about healing your hormones because that ties into the whole, like, adrenal fatigue thing. So can you talk a little bit about us? Because it's something that I've experienced and a lot of other people have too.

And that's been probably one of the most popular topics lately. And it's been really nice. It's really nice for me as a blogger to write a post that comes really freely. So I recently, on my blog, hundred blog h u n d r e d blog.com wrote a post on how I healed my hormones naturally. And it just flowed and it felt really good, and then it resonated really well with people. So that's like a little reminder for me as a blogger. But anyways, so a year ago, I got diagnosed with. I have. I'm really estrogen dominant, so I have higher levels.

And I listen to your podcast episode with your friend's mom. Was that her who did the Testing, Because I just did. I haven't sent it in the saliva cortisol test. I'm so excited. No, I. The doctor gave it to me. So I'm really excited to see.

I'm so excited to see your results. So if anyone who's listening, you can get tested for your hormones with the saliva test. Candace Burch of your hormone health does a really great job. She was who did my testing. So I got tested a year ago and was estrogen dominant. My cortisol levels were off and I had adrenal fatigue, too. So that was what that meant for my body. And the way I was feeling was that I would be exhausted. If I would have any stimulant, any sort of sugar, any caffeine, I would literally feel sick. I'd feel physically ill. I couldn't. Couldn't even get out of bed. It felt terrible. And then I was really horrible, inflamed and puffy and I had weight on that wasn't right for my body and things like that. So I was feeling off low sex drive, which is kind of sucky too, and got tested and got my results that said that. And then over the course of a year, like had to heal myself naturally. There's ways that you can do it, I think, with, with medicine and drugs, but I'm not exactly sure what they are because that wasn't an option for me. So what that meant for me, and especially with adrenal fatigue, what adrenal fatigue is, is your adrenals sit in your body and they are responsible for like, levels of energy or adrenaline that's released in your body that keeps you awake, keeps you going. As an example, if you get in a car crash, your adrenaline is going to hit, so your adrenals will release a lot of adrenaline within your body that keeps that fight or flight. So you'd be ready to run or you'd be ready to do anything. And also caffeine releases adrenaline from your adrenal fatigues too. From your adrenals, too. So if you overuse them through hiit workouts, through lots of caffeine, through lots of stress in the body or doing things that release a lot of adrenaline, you can overwork them and you can tire them. And that throws off a lot of different systems within your body. And a lot of people nowadays, because we are so reliant on caffeine, on stress, on intense things that are releasing a lot of adrenaline, have tired adrenals. So I had stage two adrenaline fatigue within that. So what I did over the Course of the year was I cut back on my hiit workouts like Lindsey was talking. So at that time, I was doing probably five a week hiit workouts I do sometimes two a day. I was taking a lot of pre workout, which is really pretty bad for you. So made by, you know, big brands. Pre workout isn't really good for you. You can get a great one that's. That's natural from like, roots nutrition. But most are have a lot of fake sugars and a lot of just bad components that aren't really good for your body. So cutting out pre workout, adding more meditation in to kind of get my cortisol levels in check, and then no more caffeine or uppers or drugs or anything like that, that would really spike my levels. Adding more fat to my diet, really nourishing my body with fat, healthy, healthy fats, and then having less sugar. So sugar really throws off a lot of different systems in your body and really can make you anxious and kind of cloudy. And that's like another plays another effect in with your hormones too. So by removing that from my diet or not having as much of it, that really helped to heal my body. So I got my levels tested again, and they're right in line. So that was like, something that I was, like, really proud of for doing so, you know, of everything that I do, I'm proud of myself. But that was something. I was actually very proud of myself for that. Like, I took something into my own hands. I followed through with it. I didn't really listen to anyone else, and I listened to my body, and I was able to, like, give my body the love that it needed and kind of bring it back on track.

That's so inspiring to hear because so many of us, we receive that we have thyroid issues, hormone issues. Like, it's just so common these days. Like they say, oh, like, over 50% of Americans have some sort of, like, big hormone imbalance.

I think it has to do a lot too, with like, birth control. Being on birth control. You know, I think a lot of women now are probably like, I've been on birth control for 10 years. I've been on 15 years. I was on it for probably, you know, eight years, something like that. And I think that it has a part. It plays a part with all of that. And then it's all that we're doing. It's all the stress that we have. You know, it's all that we're asking of our bodies too. So there's lots of different things related to Your hormones that you could be doing to throw it off, that you may not even know.

Totally. And as Kapha is right here, it's like we're like, oh shit, we're gaining weight. So let me work out more and eat less and get more stressed out about how much weight I'm gaining. And then you just keep on gaining weight and then you're actually creating it through your workouts. It was the hardest thing for me to do, to not do hiit exercises because I was like, I'm gonna get even fatter than I am. So.

Yeah, why do you believe that? I completely agree with you. But what made you believe that too?

Well, I was exercising so much because I noticed that I was like steadily just gaining weight and then so I'd exercise more and I was getting more weight, exercise more, gaining more weight. And I was like, super. Just didn't know what was going on. And then I was, you know, reading about all this stuff, so I decided to cut back on that and like instantly, like through switching to yoga, I started losing more weight. And I always thought like, oh, that's like yoga is like rest days, you know, which is like the LA mentality. Or like if the yoga class wasn't like strenuous enough, like not enough, like strength in planks and stuff, I would like in Shavasana start like doing abs, you know, just to like get my workout in. But, but yeah, just like surrendering to like the flow of your body. And it's, it's so hard because we, these hormone issues didn't exist, you know, 100 years ago, even 50 years ago, they didn't exist as much. So it's like we're kind of like in new territory right now just figuring it out.

Yeah, it's such a hot topic and so many women. Like I just had a woman in Lindsay's soul cycle class come up to me and she's like that podcast in your post, like, have changed my life. You know, I'm getting tested. And she was also estrogen dominant. So it's really important and I know it's not necessarily cheap to get tested. It's not thousands, you know, it's not going to kill you, but kill you money wise, but.

And your doctor can do it for free for, with insurance if you ask.

Oh, can they?

You have to like really demand not, not courtesy all but your hormone levels. Like, I was just like, I need to get this checked. They're like, if you're not trying to get pregnant, who cares? I'm like, oh, so Hormone balances don't matter until you're trying to get pregnant, because then I can get IVF done. So I, like, force them, and they'll do it.

Okay, good. So then do that. Get tested, Understand your body. It's like, take control of it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It's crazy because these things get so swept under the rug. And, you know, our gynecologists are the ones who are telling us, just take birth control until you want to get pregnant, and then I'm going to give you something else so you can get pregnant. And. And we're, like, living our whole lives with these hormonal imbalances which control everything else.

And that's something too related to the weight. You can. But most likely you're not going to lose weight if you have a hormone imbalance. It really hinders your body from just releasing any weight and causes a lot of inflammation. So a lot of times, too, with weight, people are like, okay, I need to eat less. I need to continue to eat less, and I need to work out more, like you said. But it's like, you need to understand really what's going on first with your body and then go from there. So listening to what it's saying with your hormones, and for me, that was, like, not as much hit slow down. And I even too, need to. Do you know what you're saying? More of, like, I should probably be doing way more yoga and way less of everything else that I'm doing. And I know that deep down, but I don't know. It's hard for me to, like, release of the. You know what I mean?

It's hard because, like, you know, you get your endorphin release when you're doing the hiit exercise. So that makes you feel like, well, I feel amazing after it, because your mind is on this endorphin high, but your body is, like, shot up with cortisol. So it's like, you're not actually feeling amazing, but you think you are.

Yeah, yeah.

I mean, it's just so crazy. And the other issue related to the wellness world about this that we see is we see what I eat in a day from all these different bloggers or these Instagrams that they show, like, this versus this, like, peanut butter. Supposed to be like, one tablespoon, which is like, this, not this. And we're getting all of this, like, nutrition information from other people's experiences and that what. That's what, you know, you might start listening to your body and be like, like, well, that person's a fruitarian or that person's paleo. So maybe they, they're right because they look amazing. And it's like it's. Your body doesn't always look like how much you diet and exercise. And that's the sad truth that people don't want to face. It's not like, it's not like if you do this follow Kayla it signs workout for 90 days. You're going to end up looking like that. Like, if you have hormone imbalance or your body just doesn't look like that, it's just not going to happen.

Yeah, it's so true. I mean, I see it all the time. Like with my. With riders who come in and, you know, they're like, I just want to look like so and so. And how do I get rid of like, belly fat and how do I tone my. You know, and I'm not a certified trainer and I'm a certified soul cycle instructor, period. But I think people are looking in the wrong places for their answers. You know, I think they're like looking outside of themselves for the answers to how do I get rid of belly fat? You know, it's like I feel like if they did turn inward and it was, you know, about, you know, how they spent their time in a day, what they're stressing about, you know, little things like that. If they have a hormone imbalance, they're, you know, the list is so long. But I, I think like, they just, you're right. They look outside of themselves. They see the Instagrams, they see the. What they eat in a day and they're like, well, if I just do that right, then that's the answer, right? And really, if they just, you know, and it's hard to turn inward, it's hard to be like, oh, yes, so I am. I only sleep five hours. I get up and I have like, you know, my symptom cinnamon toast crunch. But it's good because it's like, it's like gluten free and you know what I mean? Like, just little things. If you dissect your day and really get down to it.

Exactly.

You'd see a lot. There would be a lot of answers there as to why you're feeling the way you're feeling, why you're tired, why you're not losing weight, why you're feeling anxious. So, yeah, the hard part's like turning in.

Totally. And I love. So there was this book, this novel that came out. It's like fitness junkie or something. And it's like A novel about the different types of fitness in LA and like the kind of people who go there. I haven't read it yet but like you guys should read it too. And in the book like I skimmed over and they, they're basically talking about soul cycle, but like they're not saying the word. And it's like the people going there and they're like self punishing themselves but like also really loving it. And then it was like, you know, the tear into me thing and like people who wear like all shades of gray and like grunt and like all of these different workouts. So I'd like love to talk about like the different like wellness scenes scenes and stuff with you guys.

Oh yeah, totally.

So who do you see like as like the writers typically, like what are like the kind of people that come in.

I do love Seoul because so many different types of people.

Yes.

You know, you can, you have people who really want to take control of their health and have never worked out a day in their life and they're trying soul cycle for the first time.

My uncle knows, really, he's like in his mid mid-50s Persian guy and he loves it.

You know that out here.

Yeah, I think in Palisades.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I just. Yeah, Soul cycle is amazing because there are so many different types of people. I think, you know, there are some people that come like five times a day and it's, it like makes me sad because I don't. You know what I mean? It's, it's a lot and I think people depend too much sometimes on that. I think of it as an escape sometimes. There are days where I'm like, oh, I just want to get in that room and like, you know, escape what's going on right now. But I think it is only that to some people and I think that can be, I don't know, a little dangerous because the body starts to depend on that, like adrenaline.

Right.

So that when they're not in that room, they experience this like severe low. So yeah, sorry, that like took a weird turn. But yeah, I think, you know, there's definitely a scene and it's expensive and the clothes are expensive. I love the company. I think the company is amazing and what they stand for, but it is a high end workout. And what's beautiful is that we're, you know, we're offering scholarships to kids downtown and you know, in inner cities, like they're able to come. Yeah. And a lot of charity rides and it's wonderful. And we have a lot of, you know, free Rides for people. I wish more people could experience what we do in that room, you know?

Also, you know, the amount of money people spend on going out and drinking and stuff could have easily gotten you a soul cycle ride. So it's like. What I love about it is it feels like you're, like, going clubbing. Like, you go in and, like, the vibe's going on, the music's on and you're having fun. Like, I connect with music more in there or in a gym than I.

Do at a nightclub.

Totally, totally. No, I completely agree. And then other LA scenes, I'm trying.

To think there is, like, the tarantumi thing, you know, so we.

Have you tried it?

Yeah, I had it. I did it and I loved it. It's like, so it's. If anyone's listening and they don't know. So tarantumi, it's like, sort of like emotional release and kind of like going through things in a physical way.

Yeah.

So you're using your body. It's all body weight movements, and you kind of are releasing whatever's going on through those movements.

Repetitive. Yeah.

And it's beautiful and it's fun and it's like. It's kind of. I've never thought about movement in that way. So that one's a really fun one. And that one's, like, kind of deep, less, like, surface. I think what's a scene is, like, the yoga scene.

Oh, for sure.

In the Kundalini scene, which I love Kundalini. Like, I think it's amazing. But sometimes I feel a little alienated in the Kundalini community because I'm not, like, wearing a head, you know, like a white headdress.

Yeah.

So I think that one's kind of a scene that feels a little bit unattainable for me if I'm not, like, wearing the clothes and doing the whole thing. And LA is such a yoga community that it's like, you know, a religion, for sure, you know?

Yeah. It's so funny because in la, it's like the celebrities are like, oh, this yogi from Instagram. And, like, you recognize them and it's like, that's, like, who people follow. But, I mean, it's better than, you know, like, a drug addict on reality tv. So. So, yeah, I mean, I'm, like, so thankful to be part of the community as much as it has issues. I'm like, well, thank God. Like, this is the stuff that we talk about.

Yeah, you're so right.

Yeah.

So true.

That's so amazing. So what are your Guys goals now, like, what is next for almost 30 and what direction do you see it going in? I see it like becoming like a TV show.

Oh, cool.

Yeah.

Yeah, we've, we've been thinking about that a lot lately as we just hit our year mark and the growth has just like blown us away.

I can't believe it's just been a year.

It's just been a year and it's been amazing. So we've really started to think about long term, you know, how do we want this to grow and in what way? And I think eventually we would love to have it be a positive media company and there would be, you know, different, different arms of it, ways in which that we can reach our community in a deeper, more personal way. And yeah, I mean, we're gonna be doing more events and connecting with other people in this space like you and just bringing to our listeners and people our age and not necessarily our age, like the help and the guidance that they need to navigate any transition and feel comfortable and feel themselves doing it. Yeah, there's, I mean there's big dreams. We got a list and I think.

For, yeah, just to piggyback off of what Lindsay said. For us it's really growing and like finding more people to grow our community because they want to also share and learn and like love others. You know, our podcast is different because it's not about us. It's, you know, we definitely have solo episodes where they're funny and they're fun and they're interesting. But if you listen to any of our interviews, it's not self focused. It's not about our egos. It's not about getting us to be celebrities or being the biggest stars. It's about shining a light on these people that need that or have a message that are going to help others. Like your message will help other people feel look better, connect deeper to themselves. Candace's like we talked about with the hormones has changed people's lives, having her on. So that's what is important to us. And just doing that on a bigger scale to help more people. And I know that sounds cliche, but it's, you know, the deep truth.

So for people out there listening, like, yes, like I have a friend that we would love to start a podcast. Like, I know you have an ebook on, on certain podcasts. So what, what do you recommend for them for them to get started? How can they find your ebook?

Yeah, so the ebook is available on almost 30podcasts.com and it's 3.0in the numbers. So that is available, and that will give you everything you really need to start a podcast. So the equipment, there are worksheets that really help you think about the message that you're trying to tell and the brand you're trying to create and how exactly you could do and visualize that. There's a bunch of tips and everything in there. So getting that's really helpful. I would definitely recommend doing that. But at a base level, what I'd recommend is really going deep and thinking about what is the message that you want to share and how you will share it. And then practice recording yourself. So you can even do that on your phone through voice notes. Voice notes actually sounds really crisp, and it's really great. So if you have an iPhone, it's available there, or do it on, you know, your computer with a camera, but just record yourself talking and kind of go through the process of trying to share whatever it is that you're trying to share or talk about what you want to share and practice that way. And then whatever it is, just dedicate yourself to it and just commit to it. Because no one wants to see someone that, you know, moves full steam ahead for two months and then, like, quits whatever they're doing. You know what happens? Like, completely forgive yourself and let that be. But, you know, I would just. I think, to me, that feels like someone hasn't done the work internally to really feel out if that's the right fit. Right. So I would definitely recommend that.

Right.

And we have a lot of friends who have reached out to us, asking us, how do you start? What do you do? Give me, like, the step by step. And a lot of times they'll hit a wall. Because it gets hard. Because it's hard. And, you know, starting a podcast, it is hard. You're gonna get to a point where maybe an episode doesn't do as well, or you run out of ideas one day or you get bad feedback. Yeah, I mean, there's all of that. And it's. It's hard, but it's supposed to be hard. And there. There will come a time where it flows and it's. It's easy, but for us, it's really felt like, okay, like the growing pains have felt necessary, and we've kind of seen them take us to the next level at every step. So just trusting that, like, the beginning is going to be kind of messy, you're going to listen back and it's going to be like, oh, God, you know, but that's a part of it. That's a Part of the whole process. And people love to see you grow. We have people come up to us all the time. Like, oh, my God, I've been listening to you since the beginning, and the show's just, like, evolved, and it's gotten so, like. Like, even better. I didn't think it could. And it's just blah, blah, blah. And it's like, oh, and they love being on the journey with us, you know, because that's. That's the whole point. Like, we're totally with you every step. Like, what you're going through, we might have gone through or we're gonna go through. So, like, let's do this together. And that's our whole thing.

Absolutely. Well, I love that. And it's just as easy as just picking up a microphone and talking and hoping for the best. And, you know, if you're vulnerable and you're authentic, you're going to find people who resonate with you. So where can people find you guys and connect with you? And I know you have upcoming events in September planned is probably going to go on after that. So do you have any planned in October or November?

Yes. So connect with us on Instagram @almost30podcast. I was going to say.com@almost30podcast. And then website is almost30podcast. We have an event coming up in October called Sacred Sex, Love and Other Things. And it explores sexuality and kind of our relationships with our body and sex. That's at Sage Wellness on Abbot Kinney, which will be amazing. So go to our website for more details on that. And then we have an event November 7th called who Are you? We're doing that with Be It Simpkin, who is a yoga teacher, spiritual master.

And her podcast episode on your podcast was, like, crazy.

Crazy. You guys listen to that podcast. I'm so glad you listen. Listen.

Yeah.

The Be It Simpkin episode is so rad. So that's another event happening on November 7th. But just DM us. Email us, let us know if you have any questions. We're always here and happy to connect and help with. With anyone, especially your listeners, because they're probably all angels.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah. And yeah, like Krista said, we do, like, we read every email, every dm. So if you want to have someone on the podcast, if you're dying to ask a question or talk about a certain topic, like, that's how we grow. That's how our show evolves. So, yeah, always open and listening.

Yay. Well, thank you guys so much. I want to acknowledge both of you guys just for you know, stepping into this unknown territory, that can be really scary. And in one year, just creating so much growth. Like, I didn't even think your podcast was a year old. I thought it must have been so much older because you have so many episodes and you guys know so much about podcasting. Like, I'm here still making it up. So thank you for doing all of.

The work it takes takes to grow.

Something into a movement and helping it inspire so many people. And I've just seen from the episode that you guys put up of me last week, just how many of your listeners have reached out to me and been so supportive, even though they listened to one episode and they're, like, putting me in their insta stories. And it's because you guys have cultivated that energy, because you're vibrating at that frequency. So thank you guys so much for doing the work, and I'm so excited to see where it goes.

Thanks, girl.

That's so nice. So happy to be connected.

And I'll post all of their links and Instagram. Instagram and everything on the show notes.

Awesome.

Thanks for having us. Of course.

So much.

This is so fun.

Yeah, I know.

Me too.

Namaste.

Namaste. Sam.