Episode #44 - Top Ten Showdown

Top 10 Lists That Will Change Your Life: Real Talk on Energy, Habits, and Wellness Wisdom

If You Only Listen to One Episode This Year, Make It This One

I'll be honest with you. When Dr. Desiree and I sat down to record this episode, I wasn't sure what to expect. We'd shared our lists with each other the night before -- not exactly a lot of prep time -- and I had no idea what she was going to say. That's what made it so good.

This episode is different. No guest. No deep dive into a single topic. Just the two of us, going back and forth, pulling from years of lived experience, clinical knowledge, and let's be real, a lot of hard lessons learned. We called it the Top Ten Showdown, and by the end of it we were laughing so hard my kid texted me from the other room asking us to keep it down.

But there's also a lot in here that stopped me mid-sentence. Because when you actually sit down and make a list of the habits that raise your energy, the things that drain you, what you wish you knew at 30, and what gives you the ick about the wellness industry -- it gets real, fast.

So pour yourself something warm (Dr. Des would say make it a matcha), and let's get into it.

Dr. Desiree's Top 10 Daily Habits That Dramatically Raise Your Energy, Mood, and Vitality

I asked Dr. Des this one first, and I want you to really listen to this list. Not because it's a checklist to be perfect at, but because when you stack even a handful of these daily -- the compound effect is a completely different life.

1. Hydrate the moment you wake up

You're already dehydrated when you open your eyes. Your body has been working hard all night and water is the very first thing it's asking for. Dr. Des has built this habit deep into her mornings, and she'll tell you your body will start to crave it once you make it non-negotiable.

2. Move your body -- any way that feels good

Walking. Running. Strength training. Yoga. Pilates. It does not matter. What matters is that you move. Dr. Des says that when she moves her body she feels whole, connected, empowered. That's the word that landed for me: empowered. Movement isn't punishment. It's medicine.

3. Keep a consistent bedtime window

(This one is my weak spot and I'm not ashamed to admit it.) Dr. Des talks about a 'bedtime window' rather than a hard deadline, which I love because it's less pressure. Your body will start to crave regularity. It's one of the most underrated longevity habits out there.

4. Laugh -- and laugh often

Dr. Des has a deeply playful side, and she makes no apologies for it. Laughing at herself, with others, just finding the lightness in the day -- she considers this a true energy habit. And I'd agree. You and I giggle on this podcast constantly and I always feel better afterward.

5. Meditate and sit in stillness

Dr. Des loves Dr. Joe Dispenza's meditations for creating the life she wants to think, feel, and act from. But she also just sits in stillness -- no guided audio, no agenda. Contemplation counts.

6. Start with a balanced breakfast

Specifically, enough protein. Whether it's eggs, a smoothie, or a protein shake, Dr. Des found this to be a game changer for her earlier self. Blood sugar stability first thing sets the tone for everything that follows.

7. Do a 10-minute tidy

We call it the 10 Second Tidy at my house (it's not actually 10 seconds, but it changes your life). Dr. Des has a whole philosophy around this: clear your desk before you walk away, prep your fridge visually so you can see what's in there, close out your day like you're running a closing shift. Visual calm creates mental calm. No clutter, no visual noise.

8. Make space for creative expression

Journaling, writing, painting, cooking with care -- Dr. Des calls all of it creative expression and she makes time for it regularly. I think a lot of people don't know this about her and honestly, I think we need to give people a tour of her world one day.

9. Activate your fascia

This one was new to me too, and I want a whole episode about it. Just five minutes a day of fascial activation connected with breathwork -- Dr. Des says it dramatically shifts how she feels, especially for people dealing with chronic stress or pain. Stay tuned.

10. Mushrooms and supplements -- intentionally

Dr. Des cycles through her tools intentionally, and she's clear: if she had to pick one functional mushroom that dramatically raises her energy, mood, and vitality, it's cordyceps. It's that promise to yourself -- the act of choosing your tools with intention -- that makes this habit so powerful.

10 Things Women Need to Stop Doing (According to Brandi, Who Has Done All of Them)

Dr. Des turned it right back on me with this one. And I want to be clear: every single thing on this list is something I had to unlearn about myself. No judgment from me -- only recognition.

• Stop apologizing for existing. You don't need to say sorry for having an opinion, taking up space, or sending a two-sentence email.
• Stop trying to do everything yourself, like you're in some kind of exhaustion Olympics. Delegating is not a character flaw. Neither is rest.
• Stop believing everything you see on social media. Nobody's life is as filtered and perfect as it looks online. I know this to be the absolute truth.
• Stop putting everyone else first all the time. As a mom, I thought running on empty was noble. It's not. It's unsustainable and it leads to disease.
• Stop ignoring your body's signals. Fatigue, stress, hormonal chaos, burnout -- these are not things to push through.
• Stop thinking it's too late to reinvent yourself. The best career pivots and life transformations often happen in your 40s and beyond. I'm living proof.
• Stop shrinking yourself to make other people comfortable. If your growth makes someone uncomfortable, that's information. It's not a reason to dim your light.
• Stop thinking you have to be perfect. Perfect moms, perfect entrepreneurs, perfect partners -- they do not exist. Real, evolving, present women do.
• Stop waiting for permission to change your life. Your gut is the only approval you need.
• Stop forgetting who you are underneath all the roles you play. Before mom, before entrepreneur, before caregiver -- there is already a whole, powerful woman who deserves her own attention.
  

What Gives Us the Ick: 10 Wellness Trends We're Over

Dr. Des asked me this one and I had a lot of feelings. Here's my list -- again, no judgment, only honesty. And if you've been sold any of these, it's not your fault. The wellness industry is very good at marketing.

1. Wellness influencers who wake up at 4am and act like everyone should

Sleep is also wellness. Full stop.

2. 'Just push through it' culture

Ignoring your body is not a biohack. It never was.

3. Detox teas and miracle cleanses

Your liver already has that job. It's performing hundreds of detoxification processes around the clock, right now, without a tea bag. The real question is: are you supporting the systems that already do this work? Real food, real fiber, real sleep, real water, real stress management. Your liver called and it would like some credit.

4. The idea that health has to be extreme

Sustainability beats intensity every single time. The extremes don't stick.

5. Demonizing entire food groups

Carbs did not ruin your life. The potatoes are fine. Educate yourself about what complex carbohydrates actually do before you cut them.

6. Wellness as another form of perfectionism

If your wellness practice is stressing you out, it is not wellness. It should not add pressure to your life. Take another look.

7. Biohacking everything while ignoring the basics

I know people spending hundreds of dollars on the latest device while they're not sleeping, not going outside, not eating real food, not moving. You cannot biohack your way around the fundamentals.

8. The $18 smoothie that's basically dessert

You know the ones. That's a milkshake with better marketing. Read the ingredients.

9. The 27-step morning and skincare routine

If your wellness routine requires a spreadsheet, it might be too much. Simplicity changed everything for me. I put mushrooms on the inside. I use two things on my skin. Done. Big brands are selling very young women a very expensive lie.

10. The idea that someone else knows your body better than you do

This one is number one for a reason. True wellness starts with learning to listen to yourself. Stop outsourcing that. Done.

What Dr. Desiree Actually Does (and Doesn't Do) as a Naturopathic Doctor

This might be my favourite part of the whole episode. Because we have this image in our heads of what an ND's life looks like -- 20 supplements before breakfast, only organic everything, no restaurants ever, a 90-minute morning routine -- and Dr. Des just casually dismantles all of it.

Here's what she actually doesn't do:

• She doesn't take or prescribe 20 supplements a day. Supplements are a tool, not a replacement for lifestyle. We can't supplement our way to health.
• She doesn't eat only organic food. She follows the EWG Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 -- knowing which produce is worth buying organic (apples, blueberries, spinach) and which isn't (avocados, because the skin protects it).
• She doesn't avoid eating at restaurants. Connection is wellness too. She makes thoughtful choices when she's out, but she does not avoid it.
• She doesn't track every health metric obsessively. She looks at HRV, sleep score, readiness, activity -- the things that matter. The rest would become stressful.
• She doesn't obsess about food. Food is nourishment. It shouldn't be stressful.
• She doesn't try every wellness trend. Not every trend is right for every body. She knows hers well enough to know what she's called to and what she's not.
• She doesn't grow all her own food. Yet. Future Dr. Des absolutely does. We've decided.
• She doesn't have a crazy morning or evening routine. She has a simple one. Simple is what sticks.
• She doesn't always eat before she has caffeine. Sometimes she has a dirty matcha first. And the world did not end.

I loved this list so much because it gave so many people permission to exhale. Not even your ND is doing what you imagine perfect looks like. Do your best. That is enough.

10 Things Brandi Wishes She Knew at 30 (From Her 49-Year-Old Self)

Dr. Des asked me this one near the end of the episode, and I want to be really honest -- I wish someone had asked me these questions at 30. I had a friend who was about 20 years older than me when I was that age, and watching her quietly shaped me even without me realizing it. These are the things I'd say to her now, and to every woman listening.

10. Life moves incredibly fast

Laugh more. Hug longer. Worry less. Don't wait for some future version of yourself to start enjoying it. Do the thing now.

9. Meditation and stillness will become the best part of your day

30-year-old me thought sitting still sounded boring. 49-year-old me considers it sacred. It's coming for you too, in the best way.

8. Your biggest challenges will become your greatest purpose

The hardest seasons of life are often where your ability to help others is being built. Dr. Joe Dispenza says we need the challenge to change. If you're in it right now, you need it. That's not a platitude -- I've lived it.

7. Your kids don't need a perfect mom -- they need a present one

The dishes can wait. That conversation on the couch can't. And put the phone away. I mean it.

6. Self-care is maintenance, not selfishness

You would not expect your car to run forever without an oil change. You are not different. Make the appointment with yourself. It doesn't have to cost anything. But it has to happen.

5. Nobody actually has it figured out

The people who look like they do are mostly just winging it with really good lighting. I'm on the other side now and I can confirm: great lighting can save a person. None of us are as put together as we look.

4. Your intuition is usually right the first time

That little voice in your gut is not confused. It has never been confused. It is just waiting for you to trust it. Go with it the first time.

3. Stress ages you faster than sugar

We spend so much time worrying about what we eat and not nearly enough attention on what we think all day long. Eating something and experiencing guilt for eating it is aging you. The stress is the enemy, not the food. Change your thoughts. Be aware of them constantly.

2. Being capable is not an invitation to be overcommitted

You don't have to say yes to everything just because you can. Competence is not the same as obligation. 'No thank you' is a complete sentence.

1. Your body whispers before it screams

If you ignore the whispers long enough, the screams come in the form of disease, inflammation, exhaustion, and a forced life reset. I lived that. Start paying attention now. Your 30 trillion cells are listening and responding to everything you do, think and feel. What are they trying to tell you? Be honest about your part in your unwellness. That honesty is where healing starts.

This Episode Is a Love Letter to Every Woman Who's Doing Her Best

Dr. Des and I have been talking about health and consciousness for a long time now. And this conversation reminded me that the most powerful wellness advice rarely sounds like advice at all. It sounds like two women laughing about arugula in the back seat of a car, and then getting quiet when something real comes up.

We make these lists for you. We talk about this stuff on the podcast because we know what it feels like to be the woman who's exhausted and over-committed and quietly convinced that everyone else has it figured out except her.

You're not behind. You're not broken. You're just paying attention, maybe for the first time. And that's everything.

Listen to the full episode to catch all the stories behind the lists -- including the colonic story that I promise will make you laugh out loud -- and come back and tell us what landed for you. Leave us a comment wherever you're listening or watching. We read them. We love them.

Until next time.

Be well,

Brandi.