Welcome to WyzeCast™ Season 2, Episode 16, where we dive into the realm of health and wellness with Saríce Holley, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and founder of Bloom Into Health. In today’s fast-paced world, self-care can feel elusive, especially for busy mothers. Saríce, with her background in public health, disease prevention, and biotech, is a passionate advocate for empowering individuals to prioritize their well-being.

Join us for a conversation that unveils actionable insights on maintaining health, even when life throws curveballs. Saríce shares invaluable tips to help you navigate the challenges and prioritize self-care. By the end of this episode, you’ll be equipped with practical advice to enhance your overall well-being. Remember, your health is your most valuable asset, and Saríce is here to guide us on How to Bloom Into Health, even during challenging times.

Watch on YouTube – Premieres December 8th, 10 AM ET

Listen on Spotify – Premieres November 22nd, 5 PM ET

Melanie McSally
Welcome to another episode of WyzeCast™, the show that elevates the voices, shines the light, showcases the gifts of our heart-centered guests, and amplifies the positive differences they are making in the world.

In today’s fast-paced, digitally distracted world, maintaining our health and wellness has become more challenging than ever. So, I am super excited to introduce today’s guest to you. She is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and the founder of Bloom Into Health. She is here today to share valuable insights on how to care for yourself, even when life throws curveballs.

With a background in public health, disease prevention, and biotech, she’s become a passionate wellness advocate, specifically focusing on empowering busy mothers to prioritize self-care.

By the end of this episode, you will have actionable tips and advice to improve your overall well-being. Today’s guest will guide us on how to bloom into health, no matter what challenges come our way. Remember, your health is your most valuable asset.

My name is Melanie McSally, your host for today’s episode, and without further adieu, I would like to give a warm welcome to the wise, the inspirational, and adorable Saríce Holley. Saríce, welcome.

Saríce Holley
Thank you for that warm introduction, Melanie. I’m so excited to be here, and I can’t wait to share some interesting insights with your audience.

Melanie McSally
The pleasure is all mine, Saríce. Can you share a bit of your background and what led you to become a Registered Dietitian and wellness advocate?

Saríce Holley
So, I kind of grew up in a home that was really health-focused. I remember since I was a little girl, my mom subscribed to Women’s Health magazine, and she had all types of herbal remedy books. So, it’s been something that I’ve been around for a while. Also, I remember being interested in how foods affect our bodies. In every package that I could find, I would wonder what the ingredients were. I knew how to read, but I didn’t know what those ingredients meant. And so I was just always curious about what’s in our food, how food affects our bodies, and things like that.

But as far as a career, like when people ask me, What do you want to be when you grow up, I thought I wanted to be a doctor. I think that had to do with my parents telling me that. But also, I thought, Okay, I want people to feel good. I want to tell people what to eat to feel their best. So I thought that’s what doctors did. And then, later on, I found out what a dietitian is. I actually remember the exact moment. I was working at an old job after I finished the military. And then, there was a segment inside the paper that was called healthy times. And all of the workers, all of my co-workers, knew that it was Saríce’s paper. Some people would take the sports. Some people would take the finance section. I would take the health and lifestyle issue. And then there was this interesting article about what foods to eat during the winter time to boost your immune system and things like that. And so I was reading it, and I was like, Oh, this is an interesting article. I wonder who I don’t know, specifically that day, I wanted to see who wrote this article. And then it had a name. And then it said, registered dietitian. And that was the first time in my life that I heard of the title, a registered dietitian. And then I researched that, and I wanted to learn more about it. And I was like, Oh my gosh, that was my aha moment. I’m like, That’s what I want to do. I’m interested in food and how food can help prevent diseases and boost performance. You know, longevity. And that’s how I decided that day that I wanted to be a dietitian. And then I pursued that, you know, I applied for college and got accepted. And yeah, here I am today.

Besides the dietetics part, I became more interested in wellness because, pretty early on in my career, I noticed the difference between my male and female clients. A lot of times, the men would tell me things like, yeah, just print it out, and my wife will take care of it, or my girlfriend makes most of our meals; just cc her. Then, the women, on the other hand, would tell me things like, I don’t have time, I have a job, I have kids. They wouldn’t make time for themselves. They will make time for everyone else except for themselves. And I’m like, you can’t pour from an empty cup. You have to be right. You have to work to prioritize yourself, and that way, you can show up for yourself and the people that you love even better if your cup is full. So yeah, that’s kind of how I got into more being like a Wellness Advocate on top of the nutrition therapist. I really believe all of these things go hand in hand.

Melanie McSally
Saríce, your journey kind of reminds me of my own entry into engineering. I knew what I wanted, and I knew what I loved, but I honestly just stumbled into computer science and software development as a profession. I almost wish that for everyone – start out with what you love and want more of in life and then find the profession and purpose that’s in alignment. So, What sets your approach to health and wellness apart from others, and how can it benefit those looking to improve their well-being?

Melanie McSally
Such sound advice – Take care of yourself so you can take care of others. I also think it’s great that you mention your own hardship to triumphant stories. When you’re in a crowded space, such as the medical field and health and wellness, this is a great way to give people an opportunity to get to know and resonate with you. That way, people that need you will find you. We need more diverse role models in the world out there showcasing how to be better, do better, and feel better, so thank you.

Many people face difficult times or setbacks in their health journey. What tips can you offer for boosting wellness, especially during challenging periods?

Saríce Holley
One of my biggest tips, which started during COVID but continues now with everything going on with the war and everything, is limiting news consumption. There is no benefit to consuming, like just scrolling and scrolling and reading negative news, especially before bed. So, limit news consumption.

The second tip is: I know people we hear a lot about mindfulness and meditation, and people think it’s just this drawn-out thing that takes hours on end, but it doesn’t have to be like that. If you could just commit, put on a timer for five minutes. You’re just going to quiet out everything. Do some deep breathing. Focus your energy towards something positive. This can really change. You’ll just feel more alert. It’s like a cup of coffee. Or not really, because I love me a good espresso. But it’s beneficial for the mind, the body, the soul, and it’ll just kind of help you reset that moment of stress. If meditation isn’t your thing, where you think you have to sit in a quiet room, and whoosh, it doesn’t necessarily have to be that. Even doing something that you enjoy can be therapeutic and meditative.

Some people, like, I have a client. She really loves gardening, and that’s her meditation, and I love that for her. Every evening, she goes out of her garden, and she tends to her flowers and plants and everything. And that’s her meditation. So find something, even if it’s just a few minutes a day. Something that can recenter you and help you calm and not think about everything that’s going on, all the stress of the world isn’t consuming you. Another thing is hydration. If you’re walking around dehydrated, it’s going to make symptoms ten times worse. So stay hydrated. If you’re not a big fan of water, try seltzer, like carbonated water. You can jazz it up with some frozen fruits or lemon and orange slices. Make it fun, and also take into consideration that things like herbal teas and zero-calorie beverages also count toward your fluid intake. So those are completely fine as well. To sum it up, during challenging times, don’t let good be the enemy of perfection. You might not have the perfect, you know, routine that you would have in normal times, but do what you can. Try to find those mindful moments throughout the day. Try to stay hydrated and not consume too much negativity, and this will make your day-to-day go by much smoother.

Melanie McSally
That’s all great advice. I can definitely feel the difference between doing and not doing each of those things. I gave up watching the news a long time ago because of the negativity. Instead, I have a few trusted people in my life that keep me informed. I am a big consumer of water. Often times when I have a headache, I’m feeling lethargic or unfocused; consuming more water usually does the trick. Finally, I meditate every morning, just as I wake up. Before I get out of bed or check any notifications, I meditate for 10-20 minutes. It sets my day up for success, and I, therefore, swear by it. So I live by all of these, and I think that they are amazing tips.

I’m not a healthcare specialist, but another thing that works for me is to scatter time for movement throughout my day. Right after meditation, I usually go for a short run. Usually, it’s only a mile to three miles. After I eat lunch, around 2, I usually go to the gym and do some strength training, and in the evening, after dinner, I’ll usually go for a leisurely meditative type walk. It helps break up the monotony of sitting in front of the computer all day, reduces stress, and allows me to have focus time in between. So, nutrition can be overwhelming for many. Could you provide some simple yet effective strategies for making healthier food choices?

Saríce Holley
I’d love to answer this question because I see a lot of confusion on the internet from fitness instructors, so-called nutrition gurus, and even MDs who like to demonize specific food ingredients and blame it on cortisol and seed oils and metabolism because they usually have a book to sell or something like that. But for 99% of people, if they just, you know, master the basics of nutrition, they’re good money, they’re good to go. And they can get the results that they’re looking for. Yes, you have little nuances that you can tweak. You want to start at the bottom of the pyramid and then climb up, but really, most of my clients, just by doing the basics, they’re able to get the results that they want and enjoy foods that aren’t the healthiest sort of things.

So, the first thing is fiber. Fiber: you get this from plant foods, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds. This is going to help. First of all, it helps promote satiety. If you’re feeling full, then you’re less likely to snack and look for food all the time. But it’s also going to help your gut micro-flora flourish. We’re learning more and more every day how important our microbiome is for our overall health. It’s linked to things from depression, dementia, gastrointestinal diseases, and so much more. It’s such an interesting field, but I digress; I won’t dive into that right now.

The second is protein. Protein is crucial. I feel like we’re in the protein age now, but yes, it’s so important. It’s the building block of our bones. As we age, we lose muscle mass. So, you want to make sure you’re increasing your protein intake while doing resistance exercises, too, to help maintain that structure and this beautiful structure of yours. So fiber, protein, the next one would be hydration, which I touched on before, and another one is sleep. This is also extremely underrated, even though I feel like it’s getting more awareness now. Try to get a minimum of seven hours. And you want to do everything you can to optimize the quality of your sleep so that you’re not waking up constantly during the night.

Whether that’s maybe you stop drinking an hour or two before you go to sleep, so you don’t have to wake up to go to the bathroom. Maybe you make the room pitch black so you’re not awakened by the light that’s coming into the room. Put your phone on silent or, as a matter of fact, keep it outside the room. If you can, I know this is quite hard for some people in this fast-paced digital world.

And movement. I’m a big proponent of finding movement that you enjoy doing. Of course, you want to challenge your body, but I feel like if it’s something that you enjoy, you’re most likely to be consistent. You’re most likely to stick with it and be consistent. And that’s the only way that you’re going to see results. If you’re doing something over time and sticking with it. So, find your thing. Some people enjoy walking. Some people enjoy swimming. Some people enjoy cycling, kickboxing, whatever. Whatever movement you enjoy doing. Start with that. Be consistent with it, and then try to mix it up by challenging your body with other things. But find a routine where you’re moving most days of the week. The World Health Organization recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five days a week. So that’s the baseline. That’s the minimum, and you can work your way up from there.

Melanie McSally
Got it. So, fiber, protein, hydration, sleep, and movement. Sleep is so crucial. I wear this Oura ring, and before I even look at it, I can usually tell what it’s going to say. If I wake up feeling nauseous, I know I’ve gotten less than three hours of sleep. If I wake up with a headache, I’ve usually gotten less than five hours of sleep. I’m at my best when I get at least seven and a half. I used to have trouble falling back asleep, so recently I’ve taken to, when I wake up, if I feel like I haven’t gotten enough sleep, I’ll look at my ring, subtract what I’ve gotten from eight and just say to myself, I’d like X number of consecutive hours of sleep please, starting now, where X is obviously the number I need to get to eight hours of sleep. Believe it or not, I usually come within 30 minutes of eight hours after doing that. In your experience, what are the most common misconceptions about diet and nutrition that you’d like to debunk for our listeners?

Saríce Holley
Yes, love it. Yeah, so one of the most common misconceptions is that good nutrition has to be complicated. You don’t need any special supplements or special gadgets like. Look, there are things that make our experience more pleasurable or fun. But just know that you don’t need anything special, at least to start. Get your sleep and start moving. Sleep, drink your fluids, and eat fiber and protein. If you nail those things. You’re way ahead of the curve.

Melanie McSally
Sounds so simple. Honestly, folks, it’s like with any habit: build healthy living into your lifestyle, and it will just become part of your routine and no longer feel like an uphill battle.  So, Saríce, do you have any success stories you’d like to share?

Saríce Holley
Yes, I’d love to tell a story about one of my favorite and inspiring clients who was kind of one of the people who inspired me to start Blooming to Health, where I decided that I really wanted to help advocate and cater to busy women and busy mothers. So she really inspired me because when we first met, she came up with a lot of terms and conditions. She told me, I want to eat bread, I still want to eat schnitzel on Tuesday, and I want to have my cake on Saturday. I’m like, Oh, that’s good. I didn’t come to make you miserable and take everything you enjoy out of your life. So once we were in a court on that part, we started with what I call micro goals. She kind of looked at me crazy. When I told her after the first session, all I wanted you to do this week was drink more water. And we set a fluid limit. She was like, what about this? And then I’m like, do everything you did as usual. We’re just going to start with that. I like to start that way because that way, you make it so simple that it’s foolproof. And then you get that sense of accomplishment, like, okay, I can do this. And then we raise it a little bit more, give you another challenge and another challenge. And then, by the end, we worked together for two years. And over the course of two years, she lost 55 pounds.

She did this amazing photo shoot where she got all dressed up and pretty and took pictures, and she just felt so much more confident. Of course, her cholesterol went down; she doesn’t have pre-diabetes anymore, and that was just doing that, and that’s when I realized the method could work for anyone. If she can do it, anyone can do it. She had three kids. She went through a divorce. She was working full-time. She had all the excuses in the world not to do it, and she did it. We’ve been in touch for five years now, and she’s still maintaining it. That’s the beautiful part. You don’t want to do anything that you can’t maintain long-term because then what’s the point? Do you want to be able to do something that’s attainable and sustainable and that just becomes a part of your lifestyle?

Melanie McSally
What a great story. Do you have any final messages you’d like to leave with our listeners today?

Saríce Holley
So something I want all the listeners to take away today is that your journey to health and wellness in a sustainable way truly starts with taking baby steps, adopting small habits over time, and being consistent with it. That’ll get you there. Taking small, consistent steps. So, make a list of everything that you want to change in your life. Even if it’s a laundry list, and you choose one thing from that list. And not just anything, the easiest thing. So, for example, like I did with my client that I spoke about, we started off with water. She knew she wasn’t drinking enough water, among other things, and that was the easiest thing for her to adapt. And again, it didn’t have to be water. It could be a low-calorie beverage. It could be lemon water or sparkling water, but we put a fluid target for her.

So start with that; do that consistently over weeks, even if it takes you a month or two. Once you have that down, and it’s a part of your lifestyle, and it doesn’t feel like an effort, that’s when you go back to your list, and then you introduce a new habit, and then you progress like that. And by the end, before you know it, you adopt habits that will change the way you look and the way you feel.

A lot of times, people naturally lose excess weight without that even being their main goal. And that’s what I really liked when, sometimes, when you have weight loss as your main target, it can be anxiety-driven, it can be frustrating, but when you change your priorities to improving your health, improving your sleep, eating more protein, moving more, the pounds start to shed as a side effect of improving your lifestyle. Just stay committed to the process, and slowly but surely, you’ll reach your goals. And again, don’t let good be the enemy of perfection. You might not know that at the time, but as long as you keep moving and you’re consistent. You’re making progress. You’ll get there.

Melanie McSally
I love it! I would imagine we have tons of busy moms listening. They’re probably out there thinking, Saríce, I love your energy, but I know I am not going to be able to do this on my own. What would you tell those hardworking moms?

Saríce Holley
Sure, so if you’re ready to reclaim your health and vitality and benefit from my professional and personal experience. I encourage you to check out my webpage, Saríce Holley dot com. You’ll find tips and resources, and you can snag a free 5-day meal plan with 15 Delicious and wholesome recipes that are nutritionally balanced and just perfect for the season.  

Melanie McSally
Well, folks, you heard it here. If you want to kick start your journey towards a healthier and happier you, I highly suggest you grab Saríce’s 5-Day Free Meal Plan! It includes 15 delicious and nutritious recipes to get you started on the path to better health. You can access this fantastic free resource on her website. Click here to access it now. I want to thank you, Saríce, for being a guest on WyzeCast™, for sharing your expertise, and for giving us a wealth of information in a way that was fun and easy to digest; pun intended. It has been such a delight and honor having you. Oh, and I almost forgot, Saríce is coming to us from California. Thank you, Saríce.

Saríce Holley
Thank you. Thank you so much, Melanie, for having me, and thank you to the listeners for tuning in. And yeah, don’t forget to grab your free 5-day meal plan with 15 recipes, and check out Saríce Holley dot com for more resources. Thank you so much. To your health. Bye bye.

Melanie McSally
I want to thank our listeners for tuning in. If you like what you’ve heard here today, please do like, share, and comment. We are trying to get WyzeTribe™ to be a hot new release. So if you feel inspired, if you feel moved, if you feel called, if we earned it, please do like, share, and comment. It is free for you to do so and really helps the podcast grow. And we really do love your engagement.

This was another episode of WyzeCast™, the show that elevates the voices, shines the light, showcases the gifts of our heart-centered guests, and amplifies the positive difference they’re making in the world.

If you want to learn more about WyzeCast™, you can visit our wyzecast.com. We dropped ten episodes every month on the 21st, so you can binge-watch or spread them out over the month. Whatever suits your mood and lifestyle.

Once again, my name is Melanie. It has been my pleasure being your host today. Thank you for listening. Thank you for watching, thank you for your engagement, and I invite you to come back and join me once again for our next episode of WyzeCast™.