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My mother used to call this 'having a hunch' Some people say it is a gut feeling or going with your heart and soul. No matter how you describe it, it is trusting your own best judgment. This is a story,  all true of how our guest Kim Cook followed her heart to navigate her journey with Multiple Myeloma. Kim began by doing her due diligence with research. She based her treatment plan decisions and selection of her medical team on her well-informed heart and soul. She trusted her heart to guide her and is at peace and in remission. As we get into the second half of life, the likelihood of facing a serious diagnosis is real. Kim's story is heartwarming, inspirational, and paramount advice.    This is our second episode on trust.  The first one is episode 133, Trusting the process.   Follow Kim on Instagram. For guest inquiries or to contact judy@judyarazoza.com New episodes release each Tuesday. Follow The Air Hug Community on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

  “Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity.” — Khalil Gibran Do we really need friends?  If we don't care about living well, then no we don't. But seriously, what's the point of living without doing it well? Cue up a friendship. Research shows that those who have a few true friends live longer and better.  There is a twist, research shows that the human brain has a limited capacity for true friends. The rest are acquaintances. Cultivating these true friendships has proven to be valuable. Enjoy this episode and share it with your true friends. follow Judy_Arazoza on Instagram New episodes release each Tuesday. Follow The Air Hug Community on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.  

 We all want to live a high-quality healthy life. But often that means cleaning up our behaviors. Changing is so freaking hard, and yet staying in a rut is worse. When you feel like you are between a rock and a hard place you know that you must have a strategy for changing.  Cue up "Trusting the Process" What does that actually mean? According to Slang dictionary, "Trust the Process is a slogan used by fans of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers. Coined during a rough patch for the team, it basically means “things may look bad now, but we have a plan in place to make it better.” [Trust the Process Meaning & Origin | Slang by Dictionary.com] How can you do this? I had the same thought. How I approach "trusting the process" aka my 'game plans' for change, is to use some key reminders to help me when I want to revert to old habits. In this episode, those key reminders are ready for you to grab so that you can trust your process aka game plan. The examples referred to hear are directly related to health and wellness, especially how to be consistent with eating and moving in ways that benefit your body and brain. For more specific strategies on midlife nutrition and fitness, click here. contact judy@judyarazoza.com   Thank you for listening. Check back each Tuesday for, a new episode on the Air Hug Community podcast.   xoxo Judy

  In the real world, we know that a healthy lifestyle is contingent on maintaining a workout regimen with consistency.  yet it can be a challenge to accomplish. one suggestion is to use movement snacks as an alternative to full-length workouts. What do you imagine when you hear the term 'movement snacks'? Are you thinking of little foods that you eat on the move... or perhaps mini workouts? "Movement snacks" is a term used to identify little periods of movement.   Some people claim that movement snacks can replace workouts. Today we are digging and exposing the pros and cons of these mini-movements, and how they may be useful. Don't cancel your workout membership before listening to this episode, because you may not want to rely solely on mini-movements to stay healthy.  PS- Let's not forget community. You may want to keep up with your workout community for accountability and friendship, as well as the umpteen other benefits that a full-out workout (even just 30 minutes) can provide. contact judy@judyarazoza.com      

The term ‘fat talk’ refers to speaking of oneself to others negatively about body appearance. Most of us have most likely participated in 'fat talk' at one time or another. Well, research now shows that fat talk contributes to body dissatisfaction.  Many women in midlife struggle silently with body dissatisfaction as it is. Hearing fat talk only reinforces that dissatisfaction.   Today we are carefully defining fat talk and giving frank examples of how using fat talk can harm ourselves and others. A lot of times we don’t even realize we are engaging in fat talk. This topic is crucial to our well-being and our self-love, which seem to be at an all-time low.   Remember to check back each Tuesday for a new episode here on the Air Hug Community podcast. Our next episode is about movement snacking.   WTF is movement snacking? tune in next Tuesday to find out   contact judy@judyarazoza.com or message me on Instagram @Judy_arazoza  

There is a trend that has me quite agitated. It needs to be exposed. It's the "heroin body" trend. Frankly, it's no better than its evil twin the ''bigger booty". Body trends are dangerous. Bodies are unique, they cannot be molded like playdough. People who believe that these trends are what they need to follow, to live a better life are being sold a lie.   This episode is not about giving up and settling. It's about learning to love and appreciate your uniqueness. It's about taking action against the timeless obsession society has with body size. Are you confused about how to change your behavior so that you can live the second half of your life without limits? Reach out to me judy@judyarazoza.com Visit https://www.gratefulfitness.com message me on Instagram @judyarazoza  

I found myself sitting on the floor amongst an array of cookbooks from the last three decades, and a memory came to me. This memory had me bursting out laughing.  The memory was a recollection of receiving a 'healthy' birthday gift, which consisted of a water bottle filled with fat-free gourmet jellybeans. If I only knew then what I know now about nutrition I would have burst out laughing at the thought of jelly beans being a healthy alternative to fatty food. I wonder in ten or fifteen years what we will think is silly nutrition advice that we absolutely think is the bible truth today? This is a funny and helpful episode on how nutrition trends come and go, and how the diet industry tends to demonize certain foods to get us to buy their products. If your nutrition strategy is as clear as mud, and you would like to chat about what you can do to make healthy eating simple and enjoyable, feel free to book a consult with me here. Thank you for tuning and remember to check back on Tuesdays for a new episode. Connect with me on Instagram   and contact me judy@judyarazoza.com

Do you like gifts?  Read to the end to find out how you can get a special gift :) But first read this short note, no skipping.   What are energy leaks? What causes them? And how do they contribute to high-functioning anxiety? More importantly, how can we plug them? I asked energy strategist and Master EFT Therapist Theresa Lear Levine to join us so that we could figure out how to resolve the high-functioning anxiety that many of us live with chronically.  One of my favorite takeaways from this episode is realizing that we have more control than we are normally willing to take responsibility for. Cue up the Law of Attraction, the most popular of the twelve universal laws. The Law of Attraction as explained by Theresa uses the power of our minds to convert our thoughts into reality. Theresa also hints at how tapping into the Chakra system can help.   EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Technique and is also known as Tapping. EFT involves tapping while talking about the negative situations we have going on in our brains.  This modality helps to release them to make room for more desirable outcomes. According to the EFT Masters, we cannot manifest a positive outcome without first releasing the negative energy we are harboring.  You are in for a surprise because after we recorded this episode, Theresa and I recorded an EFT session where she coached me through a  phobia that I have been keeping under wraps. Can I tell you? I am making progress! Theresa reminds us that a strategy is useless until we take action to implement it. And implement it we did! Theresa and I have a gift for you! You can have access to our EFT session and several more. Theresa has compiled these into an ebook and you can access it free here. More ways to connect with Theresa Lear Levine and Sample her work:    Theresa's 5 Minutes to Freedom Ebook can be obtained at theresasfreegift.com      Website theresalearlevine.com    Please check back every Tuesday for new episodes that a will change the way you navigate the second half of your life, aka midlife mastery. And be so kind as to leave a review on your preferred podcast platforem. Reviews are the lifeblood of podcasts.  

Ever been the new kid on the block? It can suck. Going to a new gym can feel just as yucky. The fact is that nobody has time to work through a long period of adjustment to a new gym. In this episode, I am digging deep into 4  common causes of gym anxiety and solutions to help you achieve regular attendance without undue stress. One of the most important factors of training is actually doing it consistently. Nobody needs to have anxiety about showing up and feeling inferior.  This episode covers the 4 most common types of gym anxiety and solutions to keep your stress level under control. No matter what type of gym or program you choose, it is important that you feel comfortable and part of the community. Grab a listen and do your research before committing to a location program or trainer.  Are you a midlife woman looking for your optimal gym community online or in person? Drop me a message and ask about our Air Hug Trining Members program. It is online and or in-person.  contact judy@judyarazoza.com  or message m on Instagram  Next week on Tuesday we have an expert guest on tapping. This amazing Mom of four and dog Mom actually took me through a tapping therapy episode to help me confront one of my greatest fears. [ i bet you will never guess what it is] Yikes My fear is going rogue. I am actually ok with sharing, because if it helps even one person then a good deed is done. It all goes down in episode 128. 

Back in the day of Columbus, virtually all people firmly believed that the earth was flat. In order to dispel this belief, it took a daring risky expedition. Fortunately, you and I do not have to risk our lives to dispel the most ridiculous fitness myths. Sweating. Soreness. Spot Training. There are mythical beliefs about these and other urban gym legends that are flat-out false. Learning the truth will make a difference in how you train and will definitely help you to train more effectively.  For example, hundreds of situps and running for hours at a time are not the best way to shape your midsection. If you're going to put in the effort, you want to be smart about it.  I would love to know what myth you are letting go of in 2023. After you listen to this episode, drop me a comment here or send me a message on Instagram Remember to check in next week for a new episode on our Air Hug Community podcast.   xoxo Judy

It's exciting in a new year to get on board with a fresh workout plan. But if that plan doesn't fit your busy life, the chances of being able to stay with it long term are slim to none. This is why people quickly abandon their New Year's resolutions within a few short weeks. In this episode, I cover the facts about what you actually need week-to-week, to improve and maintain a healthy body. Some gym rats may disagree, but the fact is we don't need to live in the gym. Moreover, the best plan is the one you can stick with long-term.  Got questions? contact judy@judyarazoza.com or message me on Instagram @judy_arazoza Ps- New episodes come out every Tuesday  Are you a busy woman looking for a midlife training program? Do you want to be able to do workouts live with a trainer who sp[ecializes in women in midlife? message me for more information.                    

 A new year once again is upon us. People are  often obligated to set goals in a new year. It seems like something in them says that they need to set goals. Well today we're going to flip the story on goal setting. You can forget about setting goals. I am going to give you an alternative action. We're going to discuss talk three negative effects of goalsetting.  This episode has some funny and serious issues that are related to the pros and cons of goal setting. I am really excited to share this alternative behavior with you, and it won't cost you a thing. conract me via Instagram or judy@judyarazoza.comjudyarazoza.com Tune in next Tursday for a guest discussion on Tapping, not the dance. 

 When our guest found herself suffering from burnout and hitting rock bottom, she felt like she had nothing to lose by learning a specific method of meditation even though her medical training left her skeptical. It turns out this changed her life. She has since gone on to become a meditation instructor, putting her own special spin on it, which is not at all guru-like or cultish. She uses her skills to help women in healthcare and to help with the trauma of racism and white privilege. Dr. Jill Wener is changing lives.   Find Dr. Jill on https://www.jillwener.com/ contact Judy@judyarazoza.com check back every Tuesday for a new episode. 

It has often been said that necessity is the mother of invention. Well, necessity dictated that I listen to the rumble in my heart, and make some long-overdue changes. The catalyst is not clear, but I suspect it has to do with the unauthentic feeling I had coaching nutrition clients over the last several years. I knew in my heart that the answer to weight loss is not numbers. It is feelings. It became a necessity to let my nutrition clients go (for now) and examine my own thoughts and behaviors. As a result, 10 supposedly healthy habits surfaced that were doing me more harm than good. In this episode, I frankly share these 10 pivots that have given me back my time, energy, and sanity. I share these because I hear midlife women agonize and talk about these quite often. Pivoting away from them helped me. I would be negligent if I did not share these ten pivots with you, and all of our Air Hug Community.   Contact: judy@judyarazoza.com or message me on Instagram @judy_arazoza

Understanding our social nature as humans is vital to our sanity. If you think this sounds extreme, you may want to rethink the role of your tribes ~ aka communities. Whether they are familial, social, work-related, or hobby-related the fact is that we need to be active in our communities to thrive. And sister, the older we get, the more we can appreciate a few good communities in our lives. If you are looking for a fitness community, consider joining our online Air Hug Training Community here. Sign up for the Grateful Fitness/ Air Hug Community Newsletter. You will be the first to get notified of new episodes on the Air Hug Community podcast. We also send out occasional short notes on topics relevant to living your best midlife. Click here to get on the list. contact: judy@judyarazoza.com        

Not all the traditions of fall and winter like pumpkin-spice lattes and football parties are pleasant. One tradition for many people is a serious illness.  That illness is Seasonal Affective Disorder.  In this episode, we are talking all about Seasonal Affective Disorder [SAD] If you are in midlife, this is important information to be aware of. The fact of the matter is that young adults and those less than age 20 simply don't get SAD.  Yet, the older we get, the more we are at risk of getting SAD. Our guest Christina Montalvo is an open book on her experience with seasonal and year-round depression. You may or may not suffer from SAD but chances are you may know someone who fits the description. This episode will tell you how you can get help, and what you can do to help a loved one. The information in this episode is not intended to treat or diagnose any illness. If you are concerned please reach out to your primary care physician and get a referral. Follow Christina Montalvo on Instagram here Want more healthy tips on living your best midlife? sign up for our newsletter here.   follow me on Instagram at Judyarazoza contact judy@judyarazoza.com  

 How many jokes have you heard about calories? You know the ones where they don't count if you're standing up or upside down or if it's your birthday yada yada yada. Those are just some of the funny ones but there are also some pretty serious ones. These conversations can do a lot of damage.  The fact of the matter is that getting hung up on strict calorie counting or strict restriction can actually contribute to seriously disordered eating patterns. And this can also contribute to seriously disordered exercise patterns. This conversation is no laughing matter and it's something that needs to be looked at carefully. Please take a listen to this, especially with respect to going into the holidays.  If you would like more resources on disordered eating or exercise please contact me at judy@judyarazoza.com  

You have a superpower. This superpower will be best utilized when you least expect it to work for you. This superpower comes with benefits, but beware because a certain mindset can ruin it. Did these statements get you wondering? The answers are laid out for you here on the Air Hug Community podcast. This eye-opening episode is one that everyone can benefit from. Now can I ask you to use your superpower to please leave a review and a 5-star rating if you are on Apple or Spotify?  Thanks! it means so much !  contact; judy@judyarazoza.comjudyarazoza.com join our  free community: here tata for now, Judy   Remember to tune in next Tuesday for an all-new episode :)     Questions? contact me at judy@judyarazoza.com  

The holiday season is right around the corner. Already we are being bombarded by the media with all sorts of scenarios of what the 'perfect' holiday should look like. The fact is there is no perfect holiday. We are under no obligation to conform to anyone's idea of a perfect holiday let alone a little voice in our brain called Ms. perfection. The point is that feeling like we 'should' be happy or grateful is not enough to make us happy. Listen to this episode and let go of any perfection beliefs around how you think the holiday 'should' be. At the end of this episode, we chat about a great book that might be a comfortable Reed going into this season. It's called "365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Gratitude Changed My Life by John Greilick and it's available on this link. Thank you for tuning in and remember to check back every Tuesday for a new episode. Follow me on Instagram. Contact me at judy@judyarazoza.com  

 Are men's and women's brains different? You're going to want to listen to this episode to find out what's actually not obvious. And you're also going to want to know how midlife plays a big role in this whole brain thing. When we say things are not all in your head, they kind of are lol. Tune in and listen to this episode and remember to check back every Tuesday for a new episode here on the Air Hug Community podcast where we talk about all things related to mid-life including the good the bad the ugly and all the emotions that come along. Thank you for listening. Check back each Tuesday for a new episode. Follow me on Instagram contact: judy@judyarazoza.comJudyarazoza.com