Kathi
Hey, my friend, what is up? And welcome back to another episode of Do Life Big. I am so excited to have you here listening to the show today, because we have a very special guest, Mikel here with us. Hey, Mikel, how's it going?
Mikel
Hey, good. Thanks for having me.
Kathi
I am so excited to have you on the podcast. You guys are going to love listening to today's show, because she is just like the master in anything Health Wellness related. So I think it'd be awesome if you could just start out by just telling us you know what you do and who you help.
Mikel
Thanks so much. Kathi. So, yeah, so as I was very nicely introduced. My name is Mikel Segal, and I'm a physician and wellness coach, and I, I work mainly with midlife women, and really, you know, who are kind of struggling with either their health or not, you know, not feeling as good as they did in their 20s, and are just really looking for ways to optimize their health and well-being. You know, there's, there's often a shift in midlife your kids, if you have kids, they're getting older, or maybe you're kind of been in a in a certain career for a while, and you're kind of wondering, is this, is this it, or is there anything more, maybe, kind of wanting to make some changes, but just not sure how. So that's sort of the them, the women that I work with, and finding ways to sort of optimize their health and well well being.
Kathi
Wow. That's amazing. That's awesome. And I like to always ask too, because it's so interesting hearing just the path of being an online entrepreneur. Did you always do this? Were you doing something before? What kind of gave you the idea to go down this online entrepreneurial path?
Mikel
Yeah, it's Well, it's interesting. So I mean, obviously, like, I went to medical school. I, you know, I went straight from university to medical school, I did my residency in family medicine and started working as a family doctor. But I always felt like I wanted to do something more and different I did. I mean, I do enjoy, and I still work as a as a physician part time, but I am so I've always enjoyed, I do enjoy, sort of helping people in that aspect of medical care, but I was always, like, searching for something else. And, like, this was even like, you know, pre-Google. And, I mean, I think the internet was around, but it just not in the same way that it is now, obviously. So, there was no Facebook, let's put it that way, to connect with people. So, I was always like, just looking for other ways to connect and to do other things. And eventually, I was at a conference, I found myself sort of more connected with longevity, lifestyle medicine. I was at a conference, and I discovered this physician who was doing coaching, and I was like, well, that's kind of cool. And so, then I went down that rabbit hole of coaching. I was like, oh, I can see myself doing that. So did my certification. Started, started looking into so how, how do you go about coaching people? And then sort of found my way into the world of business, obviously, through coaching, but I just, I love, you know, I love the sort of the creativity that comes with being an entrepreneur. And I love coaching people and helping people this way. So it's, it was just like a perfect match.
Kathi
I love that. That's awesome. Congratulations.
Mikel
Yeah, yeah, thank you.
Kathi
So when these women come to you looking for help. Is there like an underlying or common, non-underlying, but is there like a common, like theme with those women of what they're looking for help with? Is it like one specific area? Because I know you touch on like so many different things and can help with so many different areas. But do they come with you? Come to you and say, like, you know I I'm feeling like, low on energy, or I just. Feel like, you know, I can't lose the weight, or I'm just constantly stressed all the time, or, yeah, is there like, a reoccurring thing?
Mikel
It’s funny. I mean, because people so, you know, often they'll come with one issue, like, you know, their energy is low, or they're wondering where to go in their career. But you know, as soon as you kind of get into things, you find there's, there's a lot more, right? And there's, there's, there's more pieces to it than what they initially come to you with. And it's also, you know, I find that, you know, it's, we all struggle with the same issues when, when it comes down to it, you know, in different ways, but the themes are always the same in terms of, like, finding purpose in life, finding meaning, you know, wanting to feel our best, so that we can, you know, so that we can show up as our best self, yeah, and, you know, and also, as women, we, we're, you know, we're focused on sort of helping others. So that's, that's a common theme, but it's, you know, it there's a common thread amongst us as human beings. So that's kind of neat.
Kathi
I know that is really neat. That's crazy, though. Do you do anything with like hormones, with women at all? Do you talk and on that at all? Or help people help regulate that at all?
Mikel
Of course. I mean, I think hormones are a huge piece of our general health and wellness, and then, especially, like midlife women who are sort of starting to get into perimenopause and menopause, hormones are a huge piece of that. So it's definitely something an approach that I consider and talk about. I mean, I don't act as when I'm coaching, I'm obviously not their medical doctor, but Right? Because I have the knowledge and that piece, I definitely think it's important to make sure that, you know, you consider that when you're when you're not, when you start to feel a bit off, it needs to be considered and analyzed and addressed. Yeah, totally. Peace, yeah, and, and they can be, you know, there's other ways to kind of optimize your hormones, but, you know, there's, it is, it is a piece of the wellness puzzle, for sure.
Kathi
Yeah. And I feel like, once you hit 40, it's like, everyone just, it just goes, I don't know, downhill, It doesn’t have to be that way.
Mikel
No, it doesn't, but it, I mean, that's what happens, right? And then you're like, oh, wait a second, what is going on here? Okay, maybe I need to do something a bit different now. And that's really key piece is like, just acknowledging, okay, I can't do things like I used to, and then, and then that's sort of where I help, like, okay, so what, what do we need to shift here, and what do we have to look at and so that we can start feeling better.
Kathi
I love that. Yeah, I love that so much. And because one of the things that you wrote about, that you help with, is just like, the whole idea of longevity, and I have been like, obsessed with that recently, like, I'm talking, I've been like, I watched, like, the blue zones on Netflix. Have you seen that?
Mikel
Yes, well, I haven't seen that. I mean, I've heard them speak a few times. I actually haven't seen the documentary on Netflix.
Kathi
It's really good. It's really interesting. You should, you should watch it. Yeah. And then, like, I've been all into, okay, I want to get all my blood work done. And I don't know if you've heard of function health, it's called function health, functional medicine, yeah, yeah, exactly. So there was, like, this, it's company, it's all online, and, you know, they basically, you just, it's like, $500 and you can go and they do, like, over 100 like, different biomarkers that they test for, and it will just show you, like, what's on level, what's not, what you should supplement with, what you are low on for vitamins and deficiency and all of that. So I've been, like, really going down that rabbit hole. Yeah, my kids are always like, how long are you going to live? Do you think you're going to make it to 100 and I'm like, I'm going to make it to 100 you will. You will. So I'm just curious, like, what you I there's so much here that I'm interested in in terms of, like, longevity and sleep, like, especially, too, with the sleep I remember I went so long when I first started my first business, like, 11 years ago as a health and wellness business, and I remember I was like, I'll sleep and I'm dead. Like, I don't need the sleep. I will just I'll stay awake all night long. Like, that's literally what I did for so long I would like work at my kitchen counter from like eight o'clock at night, once the kids went to bed until like, 12:30 or one o'clock in the morning, and I was so burnt out and so exhausted. And now that I'm like 43, I'm just like, those days are gone. Like sleep is so important. I need to prioritize my sleep, because everything I feel like rises and falls on the sleep that you get the night before. So what do you have to say about that in your expertise?
Mikel
Okay, well let's, let's talk about, well, let's talk about the sleep first. I mean, because sleep is connected to longevity, like, in a huge way, is actually probably one of the major pillars of longevity. So I think a lot of us grew up with that mentality, like, you know, the just. Push through it. Well, certainly, like I did, definitely even, like, through, you know, university and medical school, like, you know, that was my thing. Like, I'll just study until like, three in the morning and right, will be great the next day, right? So I think, I think maybe it's shifted a bit in the general, like, population, it's, it's hard for me to know, because I'm, I'm so aware of the fact now that how important sleep is, and it just, it shifts our whole physiology. So it, you know, we need to get deep sleep and we need to get proper REM sleep, and they're both so important to, like, restore our health, because that's like when we sleep. Basically, our cells are, you know, rejuvenating, and they're fixing themselves. So we need that. It also helps with like memory consolidation and even, like our general mental health, like even losing, like, you know, a half an hour, an hour of sleep per night, our anxiety levels go up. We know these this from studies, like, anxiety goes up. You know, mood changes. So it's like there's so many key aspects of our health that are affected by our sleep and or if we don't get enough sleep.
Kathi
Ma, what do you say to the person who's like, I can't sleep, though I have insomnia or like, I've tried, you know, I hear it like, I even have friends who are like, I don't know, I don't know what to do. I've tried everything, and I just, I just, I can't sleep. I'm just, like, an insomniac.
Mikel
Well, I mean that. Well, I would say is so we if they've tried everything they need to kind of shift and work with someone else. Because, yeah, it is hard for people who have insomnia, but that, I mean, there might be, like, a medical, underlying medical disorder that's going on. You can, like, sleep apnea, you know. So there are people that really struggle, for sure. Yeah, you know hormones perimenopause can cause huge issues with sleep. So I would say, like, first, like OC medical practitioner, make sure you don't have some kind of sleep disorder, and then good sleep hygiene, right? So all the things that you need to do to make sure to set yourself up for having a good night's sleep. So going to bed at the same time each night, waking up the same time in the morning.
Kathi
Oh, going to bed at the same time every night. So that's one of those.
Mikel
Yeah, sleep hygiene. So like, there's, there's, there's tons of different little things you can do. So you really, what you need to do is find someone who kind of can go through it all with you and say, like, are you doing this? You know you need to have a really good wind down routine at night so to get your body ready for sleep. So like, lower the lights. You can turn off half the lights in your house, like an hour before your bedtime, and just kind of get your body ready for sleep, right? Well, that's a good idea. You have to have your temperature of your room, like at a certain so you can have your room too hot. You can't have it freezing either, but it should be on the cooler side, because that helps with a better getting you to sleep and a better night's sleep.
Kathi
Now, what do you think all sorts of things, yeah, what do you think? So, because of my husband and I, like, we always like, I'm like, crazy, I like to sleep and pretend it's like an ice box in my room, right? Yeah, when you say, like, it should be cool. Like, what do you think? Like, like below, a little bit below 70, like, 68 like, below, just below, yeah, just below 70, yeah.
Mikel
Yeah, below. Okay, so, yeah, it should generally be lower than what you would have it on in the day.
Kathi
So not 60.
Mikel
Yeah. Well, I mean, if that works for you, like, if you have a nice, warm, comfy comforter underneath, you know.
Kathi
I do like to sleep like that. I although it doesn't get that cold here, since I'm in Florida, but I do love it to be so, so cold and then just like a really nice warm blanket around me to feel nice and cozy.
Mikel
Yeah, yeah, that, I mean, that sounds, you know, that sounds good.
Kathi
Okay, so that's good. So alright, so for tips on how to get better sleep, you get to practice the good sleep hygiene. So, yeah, so going to bed at the same time every single night, like dimming down the lights, those are all good tips, like an hour before, and screens obviously, are huge. Oh, yeah, that's a hard one to break.
Mikel
Screens are hard. Are really tricky. I mean, you know, there's, there's a bunch of different issues with screens. One is like, it depends what you're watching, but if it's a, if it's something that's quite stimulating, then then that can alone cause your sleep to get disrupted because you're thinking about whatever it is that you've been on the screen doing, and then there's the light, obviously, with the screen. So the blue light can disrupt your melatonin production. Which Melatonin is a hormone that's important and sort of the onset of sleep. So try to avoid having light. Directly in your eyes before you go to sleep. Exactly that piece of it, you know, that, you know, so it, but it is hard, because people are so used to, you know, being on their screen, right?
Kathi
It is true. And like a lot of people, you know, it's like, they're, where did they wind down at the end of the day? You know, before, it's like, you know, we've been working all day long. We've done all the sports with the kids after school. The kids are finally in bed. We prepared the lunches for the next day. Okay? Everything in the kitchen is put away. Let's go sit down in bed and watch a show.
Mikel
Yeah, yeah. So I think, like, again, it's, there's all like, I'm not one for like, extremes. So I would say, like, it depends how much your sleep is getting disrupted, and probably, like, watching a show that's, you know, not going to cause your head to spin after, yeah, probably not going to do you huge amounts of harm. But, you know, scrolling and watching something quite disturbing, or something that, you know, yeah, reading emails and getting, like, an upsetting email before bed, obviously, that's kind of stuff is gonna disrupt your sleep more.
Kathi
Yeah, definitely like, I even noticed, like myself, I was going through a phase where I was just like, All right, let's just, I'll read in bed a little bit, and I'll sip on my cup of tea and pretend I'm like, 75 years old. And I did notice, though, when I started getting back into just like, watching like, like, 30 minutes of a show, you know, nothing crazy that I told my husband I'm like, I cannot watch anything anymore, like Dexter or anything to do all this anxiety, because I know I sleep like crap. I go to bed all anxious, exactly. It can't be good for you. So I'm like, it has to be something like light and easy and funny and feel good. Otherwise, I just can't do it.
Mikel
Yeah. Well, exactly. So you figured it out on your own.
Kathi
Yeah, exactly. And then, of course, he's like, Well, when are we supposed to watch all these other really good movies? I'm like, during the day, at some point on the weekend, not before I go to sleep,
Mikel
Yeah, not right before bed, exactly. I know it's tricky.
Kathi
Now, how much deep sleep are people supposed to be getting on average? Do you know, like, at this age range?
Mikel
Well it's, it's kind of a percent. So basically, like, you want, you want. So most people need eight hours of seven to eight hours of like, good sleep per night. So, and of that like 20% at least should be deep sleep. So, wow, yeah. So people say, Well, you know, I was in bed for eight hours or seven hours. Well, that doesn't count. It actually has to be the time that you're actually asleep. And some people takes, like, you know, half an hour to fall asleep, and then in the morning, same thing. And then we don't realize it, but we actually, you know, we have sleep cycles that we cycle through during the night, that we go from like, light sleep to deep sleep to REM sleep. Then we actually have times when we're awake, and we might not be awake enough where we're actually, like, getting up, walking around, but So those you know, those are times in the night when we're not actually sleeping. So when you add up all, like, if you actually track your sleep, even though you're in bed for seven hours, you might actually have like, six and a bit hours of sleep recorded, yeah, to factor that in as well.
Kathi
Yeah, I have been actually, like, really getting into the sleep thing. Okay, yeah, because I did get, I mean, I don't know it as well as you do, but I do have one of these rings here. Yeah, they are a ring, yeah. Oh, good. Okay. It's like, I think it's the Galaxy one for the Samsung, so it's the other but it's the same kind of thing, okay, yeah, but I am, like, obsessed with it, you know, like, I am like, all right, I'm gonna take my magnesium supplement before I go to bed, yeah, yeah, good. And I take that a little scooping with my water before I go to bed. And then I'm gonna, and then I wake up in the morning, and I immediately go to my app on my phone, and I'm like, let's see, because you know, it'll give you the score, like, what your score is, it'll tell you, like, your energy score. I love that, yeah, okay, yeah. And it's interesting though, like, when it really is crappy sleep, like, if I drink alcohol, yes, forget it.
Mikel
Yes, alcohol is disruptor for sleep. Yeah, because you you don't sleep, you don't get the good quality restorative sleep with alcohol.
Kathi
Yeah, you don't get the good sleep with that. I'm like, Oh, I hate drinking because of this. And then I wake up the next day and I'm like, Oh, I just don't feel as, like, energized, and I don't feel as awake and alert, and everything feels kind of foggy, even if it's just, only just a couple drinks, like, nothing crazy.
Mikel
Yeah, but enough that it disrupted your sleep.
Kathi
Yeah, exactly. Interesting. Did you have anything else you want to say on the sleep area?
Mikel
No, just, I mean, yeah, just that. It's, I mean, you could go into, you know, we could go into it even more. But, I mean, another, just one other piece of sleep is that it really disrupts your like in terms of your blood glucose control, which is also. Are really important for, you know, general health and longevity, and it disrupts your bodies in terms of, like, how it you know people it's connected to, like, your your sort of overall glucose control you're the way you like, your satiety signals don't work as well if you haven't slept, so you'll often overeat. And so it's connected to that as well. So you know people who are trying, you know, who are like, whose blood glucose control isn't great to begin with, it will even get worse. And you know, if you are trying to sort of follow a specific meal pattern or diet. It can be very disruptive as well.
Kathi
Wow, oh my god.
Mikal
I mean, yeah, it affects just so many different parts.
Kathi
It all starts with the sleep.
Mikal
I'm about it all starts with the sleep. Yes, I know.
Kathi
So exactly, yeah, exactly. Yeah, exactly. It all starts with sleep. So if you could, if someone was listening right now, and they're like, all right, I just, I need to get better with this whole sleep situation. It's just awful doing all the wrong things. Like, I'm staying up too late. My house is chaos before I go to sleep, I'm watching TV until I fall asleep. Like, all these different things. If, like, you could tell them, like, what's the number one thing that they should at least start with or start to implement into change to help improve the sleep like, what would you say to that person?
Mikel
Well, I would say, I mean, the first thing I always say is, like, do something that you know you can do, because it doesn't matter what I tell you to do. Like, if you can't do that, then what's the point? Right? Right? Yeah, there's a bunch of different things you could do, but you gotta find one that's going to work for you and your in your house and your family and your life, right? But I think even just, I think the first step is just acknowledging like or just having an understanding and a commitment to focusing on your sleep and trying, you know, making changes so that you get seven to eight hours of, you know, good quality sleep per night. So that's the start, right? Yeah. And then figuring out, so what? What's the first what? What's the easiest changes that I can make in my house or for me in my routine, that are going to lead me to the ultimate goal and then go step by step.
Kathi
Yeah, baby steps, one step at a time. Yeah, exactly. That's the only way to do it. It's true, because if you try to do it all at once, you know, you it's, it's, you're not going to stick with it, and then you're going to feel defeated and go back to all your old habits. Yeah, yeah, one thing at a time.
Mikel
For success. So yeah, and start with the easy things first.
Kathi
Yeah, definitely. Now, would you say too, that this is still another sleep question, in terms of like, the amount of stress, I don't know if I'm wearing this right, but in terms of, like, either the amount of stress that you get or feel and how you handle it, oh yes, like being able to cope with stress, yeah. Is that also all tied to, directly related to your sleep?
Mikel
Directly related, oh yes, like I said, even the anxiety, even just like a small amount of mislead, the anxiety levels go up. So, you know, you just everything feels like a bigger deal, everything, you know. And then your ability, yeah, your ability to deal with life, just daily life stressors, yeah, you know, goes down basically. So yeah. And there's, you know, lots of studies that have showed that for sure.
Kathi
Yeah, yeah. Well, I'm glad I broke away from that mentality of I'll sleep when I die.
Mikal
We love in there, yeah?
Kathi
Because, you know, five hours of sleep a night is definitely not going to cut it.
Mikel
No it's not. It's just not, especially I notice now for sure, like, for me personally, like, if I, if I don't get a good night's sleep, I just feel awful the next day, just in general.
Kathi
Do you do you typically get, like, the good seven or eight hours of sleep too? Is it like, so important for you?
Mikel
I try, you know, I, I do make it a priority, but I'm not perfect right now, things happen. You know, life happens. So, you know, sometimes it's out of my control, and then other times I get stuck with the same issues everyone else does, like you just find yourself doing something and you know, I'll say why I need to stop doing this so I can go to bed. But, you know, yeah, sometimes.
Kathi
I know it's true. I mean, there's Right exactly. We all go through phases of our life, and there's going to be things that are going to happen out of our capital.
Mikel
Yeah, like, oh my gosh, why didn't I stop this, like, half an hour ago? So, yeah, I do. I do. I'm pretty good, but I do, you know, I have my I have my nights where I'm like, I should have gone to bed a half, you know, an hour ago.
Kathi
I know sometimes you just get. So involved in what you're doing that it's like, it's really hard to, I can do it a couple more minutes. I can, you know, a couple more 5, 10 more minutes, just one more episode.
Mikel
Yeah, exactly. So, yeah.
Kathi
It's practicing that good hygiene. Like you said, though it's like.
Mikel
Yeah. And you know, if you, if you mess up or not mess up, but if you, you know, if you have at night where you've haven't gone to bed with giving yourself enough time to sleep, then you'll get a reminder the next day.
Kathi
Yeah, you sure will.
Mikal
Right? And that's all there. And that's simply what you should do, though, is just don't, don't give yourself a hard time. Just get back on track the next day and just make sure you, you know.
Kathi
yeah, I try to do, like, what you said, like, just about, like, the good hygiene with this one piece where I'm like, Okay, if I, like, I should really be like, asleep by 10:30 every night, because then it's like, the alarm goes off at like, six in the morning. And also, I have a five-year-old that wakes me up in the middle of the night and all that stuff. You're gonna throw that into the equation. So I find that, like, all right, if I have that, you know, time in my mind, then I know when I get into bed, it's like, okay, well, I only have time to watch this 120 minute episode of younger, you know, that's a nice light funny movie. If anybody is 40 years old and above and wants to watch and like light, that's a good one, you know, versus, like, being like, Oh, whatever. Who cares? Let's just stay up till midnight tonight, right? If you have that time right over one episode and done.
Mikel
Yeah. So you're, like, being intentional, and you're kind of setting yourself up ahead of time. Okay, this is, I know I'm going to do this in that way, yeah? So that's a good way to go about it.
Kathi
But I do want to get back into like, I do want to get back into, like, not watching TV at all, like during the week at least, and going back to, like, my reading of my books, you know.
Mikel
Yeah, that's those are good. Those are good habits. But again, like, you know, baby steps and don't be too hard on yourself. Like, watching a show is not the end of the world before you.
Kathi
I know exactly what.
Mikal
Yeah, I was just gonna say one other thing that I like to do that also has been shown to be really helpful with sort of your circadian rhythm, and getting yourself on that proper sleep cycle is, and this will be easy for you. Being in Florida is getting this the sun on your face in the morning. Oh, like within like, first half an hour waking just, I mean, I like to go for a walk right now, it's still not light. It's just starting to get light. And, you know, first thing the morning here.
Kathi
Where are you again?
Mikal
Vancouver,
Kathi
Okay, oh my gosh.
Mikal
Yeah, yeah, we're, we're a little far further north than you but spring is spring is almost here. So, yeah, but yeah. So it's a bit harder in the winter, but, you know, getting up and just going for, you know, 10,15 minute walk, get that sun on your face, get the light, because you basically want that light into the back of your eye to get it basically into your brain to and that sort of gets the circadian rhythm going, and all the hormones that are connected, and all the signaling, the cell signaling that's connected to the circadian cycle, so that also gets everything set up for, like a proper cycle, and sleep and all the rest. So that's a big piece of it. Yeah
Kathi
Yeah. And so you shouldn't, like, you know, if my mother listens to this episode, she has this very bad habit, you know, she's older, she's like, 77 but she has this very bad habit of falling asleep with the TV on and leaving it on literally all night long. Goodness, not good. Mom, really not good. That's a no, no, mom. Come on now mom, Mikal says that's a no.
Mikel
Turn the TV off.
Kathi
Turn the TV off. So she shouldn't be doing that. That must really screw you up.
Mikel
Well, probably not giving her the most optimal sleep, I would say, yeah, exactly. Oh my gosh. Some people like a little bit of background noise when they sleep.
Kathi
Yeah, that's true too.
Mikal
So, you know, I guess it just depends. I mean, if it's really loud and blaring and bright in her face, probably it's not helping. But you know, if it's just like some background noise that that that she can kind of incorporate, I don't know.
Kathi
Yeah. Oh, okay, well, that's good, yeah, I like to, I still like to keep, like, a little sound machine on, like ocean waves or anything like that. I can't now I cannot sleep in a room that's completely silent anymore, especially after raising like three little kids and having the monitor next to my bed and having hearing the sound machine come through the monitor. Now I can't sleep without one.
Mikal
Oh my gosh, hilarious.
Kathi
I'm just like a toddler.
Mikel
Yeah, and people like having that the for sure that can help.
Kathi
So how does this, all this all ties into, like, helping you live longer, right? Like, because it affects like, every other area of your life. Or what, what would you have? To say about that.
Mikal
Well, I mean, so, I mean, sleep ties in because it, yeah, it affects your hormone system, your immune system, you know, like I said, blood glucose control. It, it, it gives a chance for your cells to restore. It helps with your memory. So, you know, it's, it's tied to all those pieces of longevity. So, I mean, there's, I mean, they're still kind of working out all the different pieces that are connected to longevity, but those, I mean, that's essentially a big part of it, like all those things I mentioned, your immune system, yeah, inflammation. So we know the inflammation is a huge piece of getting older and aging. So that's kind of how sleep is tied in. And then when we talk about, like, longevity, you know, I I know you said you wanted to live to 100 and at least, yeah, actually, at the last conference I was at, I think it's generally accepted, like, within the next three years, because all the advances that are coming with, with the assistance of AI, most people are going to be living to well over 100.
Kathi
Really, that is amazing.
Mikel
Yeah, that's just kind of a given at this point in that community.
Kathi
So what, how will they like? Did you get any more information about that inside scoop?
Mikel
So, well, I mean, we, I Yes, so there a little bit. But I was just gonna say, like, back to the point of, like, longevity, so, but, I mean, it's great that you're feeling lots people will say, Well, I don't want to live like, I don't want to live till past 100 because their image of, like, living past 100 is, like, you know, being partly demented and then a wheelchair.
Kathi
No, I don't want that, right? I want to be functional and move, yeah, vibrant, exactly it.
Mikal
So that's exactly it. So when we talk about longevity, we're not just talking about, like, number of years. We're talking about how we're living and, like, living as you just as you said, being vibrant and living well past 100 but being able to, you know, you know, participate in life in a meaningful and positive and energetic way, so as, like, more healthy years to our life. And that's really the ultimate goal. Like that would be amazing, like, shriveled, you know, share and, oh, it sucks, yeah, that. Nobody wants that. So I just wanted to be clear about that sort of what we're talking about here, right? And, yeah, I mean, so I think, well, having an understanding of, like, the pieces of longevity, or pieces of aging that we talked, that I talked about, like the inflammation, a lot of, like the mitochondrial what the mitochondria are, are these, like, basically the part of our cells that kind of help with energy, energy production. And so that's another piece of it is, like maintaining our mitochondria so that they're able to, you know, they're working optimally, and then dealing with, like, there's just pieces of our cells that we kind of know are connected to, sort of getting older, and what kind of starts to happen as we age. So just optimizing those different pieces, but so cool, yeah, so I think, like, in terms of, sort of as we get older, like, or, you know what, what are the things that sort of cause people to age poorly? It's, you know, memory. So getting it like neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's, yeah, that kind of stuff. And then there's, you know, obviously cancers, and then heart disease and all those so just, I mean, I think what, just to answer your question, there's all sorts of new technologies that are coming in to basically reverse, not even just stop it, but reverse the effects of, like, heart disease, reverse neurodegenerative diseases, and basically, like, go in there and just, wow, that is crazy. Attack the cancers even before they started, or if they've already, you know, started, you know, spreading, to basically attack it. And, like, directly attack the cancer cells, whereas, like, you know, chemotherapy attacks cancer cells, but also attacks healthy cells Exactly. But there's more and more better, targeted approaches for cancer. So it's all happening which is really exciting.
Kathi
That is really, really awesome, that is so exciting. So we just have to hang on for three more years, guys.
Mikel
Yeah, exactly. That's the take home message. You got it without me even saying it.
Kathi
Okay, hang tight for three more years everyone. And we're gonna all make it till way past 100.
Mikel
Yeah. And so I was gonna, Yeah. So for me, I think, like kind of knowing that those therapies are coming, the other really big piece of anxiety that I feel strongly about, that I think we all could use some help with, is sort of managing our nervous system. And because I think, like those, those approaches will come, and then we just have to figure out, basically, like, how to manage our stress. Yeah, how to focus on, like, meaning and purpose in life. And, yeah.
Kathi
And when you say, when you say, manage your nervous system. Like, what do you mean? Like, how? Like, what does that mean to someone? How can they do that?
Mikel
Well, I mean, it, it's a bit complex. It's complicated. Like, so, yeah, that's a very, you're right, very general statement, yeah. And there's, there's so many different ways to approach it, but I feel like our nervous system, so our brain, our spinal cord, all our nerves, they are like such an important piece of the puzzle, because they, you know, they also connect with our like our hormones, and connect and, you know, they signal throughout the system, throughout our body. So we want to make sure, like we know that stress can cause our brain to basically shrivel up, so it's all connected, right? So we need to, so when I say manage our nervous system, I really mean, like, manage our energy, okay, manage our thought because we know, we now know also, like our thoughts can produce, you know, hormones can produce changes in our body. So managing our thoughts like, what thoughts are we thinking that are, you know, causing our body harm, right? You know, and so managing our thoughts, like being aware of our thoughts and shifting those beliefs that are not serving us. So that's a big piece of it. Then there's like managing our stress and our high stress, and how, how we can shift our body to be more grounded. So there's so many different pieces of it, becoming more aware of our body, like I think most of us grow up not really connecting with our body and realizing how much wisdom our body can share with us in terms of intuition and things like that. So there's different pieces of that, but I feel like that's also really important piece that, you know, most of us don't know how, like, you know, don't have it optimized, yeah, unless intentional about it, and just really kind of focus on the different pieces.
Kathi
that's so cool, though there's so much to it.
Mikel
yeah. So that's the stuff that I like, kind of working at with.
Kathi
I know I love that. I love learning about that kind of stuff and hearing anything about it. It's, it's really interesting. What about, like, the person who's listening right now and is, like, super overwhelmed with all this information. Like, what if they're like, Oh my God, because there is, there's a lot. I mean, there definitely is a lot. Yeah, would you like pick a specific would you tell them to, like, pick a specific area, or what area? Yeah, in their life?
Mikel
Yeah, I think that's the thing. Like, again, it you have to, kind of, again, sort of pick the area that you think you can work on. Or maybe, like, where, like, I mean, there's also nutrition and how you're feeding your like, how you're how you're feeding your body. So there's, that's a big piece of it, and we know, now know, again, that there's so many, like, a lot of the like phytonutrients. So the nutrients that are in plants can, ask, can work at a cellular level and change our genes, like, how our genes operate and stuff. So, I mean, there's, there's tons of different pieces. And again, like, not to say this to sort of get overwhelmed, but just like, there are different areas where you where you can make changes. So I would say, like, maybe, like, doing, like, a check in with yourself, like, where, where do you think there's the most room to make changes? And where can you make changes most easily? So and then and then, we didn't talk about exercise, but I think exercise, sleep and nutrition are like the core pillars of all of this, right? So making sure you're moving your body throughout the day, like just simply not, you know, it could be as simple as, like, if you're sitting all day, well, get up every hour and just move your body right spots, or walk around the room, or whatever, just, you know, just paying attention to, yeah, you know. So maybe just start with kind of doing a review of, like, how you're spending your day, or, you know, how you're moving, like, what kind of exercise you're doing, what kind of movement you're doing, what you know, what kind of foods are you putting into your body? Yeah, that kind of stuff, yeah.
Kathi
And because I do feel like I know, like a lot of the circle of friends that I have, for example, who are, like, in their 40s, mid 40s, I feel like just a really common theme is like, I just don't have any energy, like, I feel so low on energy all the time. And so you know, when you're feeling low on energy, you know you don't want to eat the healthier foods. You definitely don't want to get up and do a workout or anything, because you're like, I'm so tired, exactly, and it's just like, this vicious cycle.
Mikel
Yeah, exactly. It's tough. Yeah. And that's exactly it. So doing, like, an energy like, sometimes I like to look at it as, like, where, you know, what things are you doing that's kind of draining your energy, and then what things are you doing that are kind of filling your energy bucket up, right? Yes, oh, that's good doing, like, looking at it like that, and then kind of seeing, well, where can I make some changes? So that's sometimes helpful. But yeah, it does. It does sometimes run into a vicious cycle. That's why I say. We'll start with something simple, like just getting up and doing some squats. Yeah, don't, don't, you know, you'd have to go from like feeling low energy to running a marathon the next day. We don't want to do that. It's just like, you want to make little changes over time. You don't want to, you know, you don't want to beat yourself up. We're all like, that's another thing that I think is so important, is reminding is being, like, compassionate with yourself and so, yeah, having self-compassion. So really, that's why I feel like taught the way you talk to yourself and how you you know what kind of thoughts you you you know you bring in is so important, even through, you know, through this, if you're, if you're trying to make changes, you gotta start with that to make sure that you are being compassionate with yourself.
Kathi
I know I feel like that's really hard for a lot of people. Most people, you know, we are so easy to you know, it's so easy to criticize ourselves and to beat ourselves up and constantly just talking crap in our own head about ourselves. But it's like, well, if you actually took a step back and like your best friend was coming to you with these struggles, you would never, ever say that exactly your best friend.
Mikel
Yeah. And sometimes it's funny, because I've done that exercise many times, and I've always said Oh, or I've always, I used to believe, Oh, I don't, I don't talk to myself like, I actually talk to myself. I have self-compassion. But then when you actually do the exercise, yeah, oh, and you're like, No, I would never say that to a friend, you know, like, I know, like, you catch yourself, okay, so yeah, maybe you're not like, you know, you're not swearing at yourself, but you're not talking to yourself in a way that is really self-compassion, you know, is really compassionate, exactly in a way that you would talk to Your friend. So it was funny. I had that oh aha moment, like, yeah, maybe I could do better with the way I talk to myself.
Kathi
I know, yeah. I know it happens to us all. I mean, even me. I'm a mindset coach. That's exactly what I teach is like, how to reframe your thoughts and everything. And I even catch myself when something doesn't work out the way I wanted to, or, you know, the launch didn't go as planned. Or, Oh yeah, you know, anything, I find myself sometimes catching myself, like, Wait a minute. No, no, exactly. We're not going to do that.
Mikel
Yeah. But I think that's the key. Like, having the awareness. Like, once you have the awareness, then of course you're going to, like, your brain is going to feed you thoughts. You don't have to accept them, right? And that's the key like. So the key is just being aware and just saying, No, I reject that thought.
Kathi
I know, not over here, not today, right?
Mikel
So just not getting too associated with the thoughts that your brain is feeding you, right?
Kathi
This has been so this has been amazing. I feel like I need another part two, like the other areas of expertise here.
Mikel
It's been so much fun.
Kathi
This has been so much fun. Thank you so much for taking your time today. Did you have any words that you wanted to leave us with today? Anything that was still lingering?
Mikel
No. I mean, I just think you guys are doing awesome. The fact that you're even here listening is, you know, like above and beyond. So just keep doing that. Don't be hard on yourself. Make sure you're being compassionate with yourself. And just keep, just keep going out there and trying to be your best self. I think it's awesome.
Kathi
Oh, I love it. You are so incredible. Where can people find you if they want to reach out and connect with you? I'll make sure it's all in the show notes.
Mikel
Okay, great. Yeah, so I'm, I mean, I'm on Instagram @mikelsegalMD, I'm also on Facebook, but more on Instagram, I'd say, is it probably the best way. I also have a website, which is also www.MikalSegalMD, and yeah, those are the main.
Kathi
And you will be having a podcast.
Mikel
Oh yeah, my podcast will be coming out soon. Yes, essential wellness. So, stay tuned for that, but that, that's a new, exciting piece that I'm working on. Yeah, so connect. I'm easy to connect with. I'd love to hear from you. So that's awesome.
Kathi
That's great. I can't wait to listen to your podcast when it comes out to be super helpful. Well, thank you so much for being on today, and thank you guys for listening. I hope you enjoyed the show, and you know I love you and I will see you the next time. Bye.
