20. 🍽️🏋️Balance Writing + Wellness with "Eat, Move, Groove" Author Susie Kundrat

Balancing Writing, Wellness, and Motherhood --"Eat, Move, & Groove"

In this inspiring episode of 'Mom Writes First,' host Jen Larimore sits down with Susie Kundrat, a registered dietitian, professor, and author of 'Eat, Move, Groove,' to discuss the intersection of motherhood, wellness, and achieving writing goals. They delve into practical tips from Susie's book and her journey to publication, emphasizing the importance of community, small actionable steps in nutrition and exercise, and leveraging one's unique mom superpowers to reach personal and writing milestones. Susie shares her 2211 nutrition and fitness plan, geared towards making health and wellness simple and attainable for busy moms. This episode is a treasure trove of motivation for moms looking to nurture their writing dreams while taking care of themselves and their families.

00:00 Introduction to the Interview and Susie's New Book
00:22 Welcome to Mom Writes First: A Journey of Writing and Motherhood
01:46 Susie's Journey: From Nutrition to Empowering Women
04:11 The Birth of Eat, Move, Groove: A Holistic Approach to Wellness
14:46 The 22 11 Plan: Simplifying Nutrition and Exercise
22:11 The Power of Small Steps: Writing, Eating, and Moving
25:02 Exploring the Essence of Groove Through Community and Generosity
26:04 The Joy of Teaching and the Impact of Volunteering
26:21 Finding Your Own Community of Generosity
27:39 Personalizing Your Groove: Cooking, Eating, and Loving Food
28:32 Simplifying Snacks and Integrating Movement into Your Routine
32:04 Leveraging Support and Collaboration for Success
37:09 Empowering Each Other on Our Journeys
41:25 Maximizing Your Online Presence and Engaging with Your Audience
43:31 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Learn more about Susie, her book "Eat, Move, and Groove," and all the incredible work she is doing in this world here: https://www.eatmovegroove.com/

Follow Susie on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/eatmovegroove/

Take the QUIZ! Discover how to use your mom superpower to reach your writing goals.

Ready to take back your time and add hours to the day so you can finally manage it all? Then you have to check out the FREE Time Audit Guide. You'll get coaching, worksheets, and tips on running your first time audit so that you can finally write your book without burning out. It's absolutely free, and it's my way of supporting and empowering YOU!

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Copyright 2024, Mom First Coaching

Transcript

Eat, Move, & Groove with Author Susie Kundrat

[00:00:00] 

[00:00:00] Introduction to the Interview and Susie's New Book

[00:00:00] Jen: Today, I'm bringing you an interview with my friend, Susie. We're discussing how women writers can collaborate and support each other. And the super helpful practical tips in her new book. Eat, move, and Grove. If you're a mom looking for support on her writing journey, you're definitely in the right place. 

[00:00:19] And you're going to love Susie. Let's go. 

[00:00:22] Welcome to Mom Writes First: A Journey of Writing and Motherhood

[00:00:22] Welcome to Mom Writes First, the podcast that helps busy moms reach their writing goals. I'm Jen Larimore. I'm a mom of five, a lawyer turned life coach, And I'm writing my very first book. I want to help you reach your writing goals too. If you're a mom who wants to jumpstart her journey as a writer, then you have to head over to my website, momfirstcoaching. Com, and take the free quiz there. That quiz is going to show you How to take your mom's superpower, you know, that characteristic that [00:01:00] makes you an absolutely incredible mom to your kids, and then leverage that characteristic so that you can reach your writing goals. Again, the website is momfirstcoaching.

[00:01:14] com forward slash quiz. Now on to today's episode.

[00:01:21] Hello, my friends. Welcome to this 20th episode of mom rights first. as you may know, if you have been with me for a while, I have actually been podcasting for more than two years now. And in my prior podcasts pre- Mom Writs First Days, first days I did a number of episodes featuring interviews with other folks who were absolutely. Committed to empowering women to live their best lives. 

[00:01:46] Susie's Journey: From Nutrition to Empowering Women

[00:01:46] And today I'm bringing you my first interview for mom rates first with my friend, Susie susie is a registered dietician, a professor and the founder of eat, move groove, and the author now of eat, [00:02:00] move groove, unlock the simple steps to lifelong nutrition, fitness, and wellness. She is a huge advocate for nutrition, health, wellness, and disease prevention. And I think you're going to absolutely love what she has to share with you today. 

[00:02:15] I met Susie as part of a coaching and mentorship community that we both joined in 2023. She is smart and funny and absolutely lovely. 

[00:02:24] If you are a mom who is looking for support on how to manage it all. And write then you're going to walk away today with a lot of really helpful tips from our chat. Let's go.

[00:02:36] 

[00:02:39] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: Hi, Susie. Welcome to Mom Writes First.

[00:02:42] Track 1: Well, hello, Jen. I'm so excited to be here. Thank you so much for inviting me on your amazing podcast.

[00:02:48] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: I'm so glad that you're here. So what the listeners don't know is like how you and I actually met. Like we got connected this past fall through this coaching program, grant [00:03:00] program that we were both involved in.

[00:03:01] We met the most amazing women

[00:03:03] as part of that program. I feel so blessed to have gotten to meet you. I feel like our, like paths kind of align

[00:03:14] and I am so grateful. That you're here to kind of tell people about you. Would you do that? Would you tell folks a little bit about who you are and what you do?

[00:03:23] Track 1: Yes. Thank you, Jen. Um, I agree, you know, meeting through the Doyon group and this group of five of us who were, you know, have been just, uh, been able to help each other and collaborate as we're all starting our ventures or moving forward in our ventures has been such a wonderful thing. And, um, And right away, I felt like we did have a lot of similar, uh, really similar energy, I feel like.

[00:03:50] I so appreciate when I've listened to your podcast and just listened to you talk, how positive you are and how supportive and how you really want to help moms, [00:04:00] uh, be able to write and be able to have the life they want at the same time. Which, as a mom and as a writer, I so appreciate that. 

[00:04:08] It's so wonderful to be on this podcast with you. 

[00:04:11] The Birth of Eat, Move, Groove: A Holistic Approach to Wellness

[00:04:11] Track 1: I just uploaded my new book that has been in the works for about six years. I just uploaded it to the printer today. So, um, it will come out on March 22nd.

[00:04:21] It's called Eat, Move, Groove, and it's all about finding simple ways to support your well being. It's really geared towards women. And I'm a registered dietitian, so I've spent my career working in sports.

[00:04:36] I got to work with the Milwaukee Bucks for a while. I've worked with us speed skating. I've worked with a lot of collegiate programs at the university of Illinois and Northwestern in different places as their sports nutritionist, but I've sort of. Um, moved into, I think as I've gotten older, um, I've moved more into the well being area and I've always been really interested in holistic wellness and [00:05:00] how what we eat keeps us healthy as well as manage disease or help with our sports performance.

[00:05:05] But I really see this, um, need, and that's why I'm writing this book, is this need to help people bring eating and moving into And supporting personal well being all together in simple, doable ways. I think we, particularly as women, uh, you know, we might get caught up in the guilt around food or our bodies or weight or are we doing enough and are we taking care of everyone else?

[00:05:32] So my goal with this book and the program is to offer a simple solution that takes what I call, takes the science and makes it simple, taking the research, putting into a practical, easy plan that is a no stress plan and simple to do. for you and your families. 

[00:05:51] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: I am just so proud of you because I know when I met you in the fall, like you were working towards this goal of getting it published and I feel like the fact that you've done that when you [00:06:00] also have other things going on, right? Like you're not just like a one dimensional human.

[00:06:04] Like, everybody, you have so much going on, and you still, like, persevered, you got your goal, you met your goal, and it's incredible. you're such an example of what's possible.

[00:06:16] Track 1: Well, thank you. Thank you. I mean, it's, you know, having the idea of a book and I've done some writing in the past, but nothing like this. Um, You know, having the idea of putting something out there that will be positive and help people, that I think we both have that similar goal. Um, but taking the ideas and then jotting them down and then working, you know, I had a group of 20 women I worked with way back in 2019 to do our focus group around Eat Move Groove and then taking that and gradually working with other groups and individuals and companies and, and utilizing the tools I was developing.

[00:06:55] Um, it is a little hard to believe that it's really here [00:07:00] and that this is actually a book. we hear a lot about how important it is to find your, uh, mentors and find your collaborators and Uh, I feel like that with women, it's especially important because we have, you know, my wife and I have three kids, um, between the two of us and we're really busy with them and, and at the same time, we both have careers and trying to, you know, work all these things out.

[00:07:26] So, uh, it's challenging, but it's also a very vibrant way to live. So if I can help. other women in particular, maybe take the stress off eating and the stress off moving and have a, what I call sort of a foundation with flexibility. That's what I see Eat Move Groove being. It gives a foundation, it gives kind of a way to think about doing things, but that's all flexible.

[00:07:53] Then that hopefully will help women and their families kind of open up some [00:08:00] energy for other things.

[00:08:01] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: Honestly, you had me at stress free, less stress, and keeping it simple.

[00:08:08] Because I think you're right. I think we do tend to sometimes over complicate things. Um, I love that you shared a little bit about your story and your background in terms of your family, your wife, your kids, your job, the work that you did to kind of bring this book out into the world. Because when you talk about those things, it just reminds me like when I feel stressed and overwhelmed by all the things I'm doing. And I'm trying to write a book,

[00:08:35] right? Like, just like you, I'm a mom. Just like you, I have multiple kids. Just like you, I have a job, right? I have this background. And I also am trying to write a book. And it seems very hard to think, how can I do all those things and write a book

[00:08:55] and take care of myself in a way that is really gonna allow me to [00:09:00] do those things and write the book,

[00:09:01] Track 1: You know, inching forward on your goals is what really matters. Uh, if I look back, I was recently looking back on where my book was this time last year, and I had some things started, but I mean, it really wasn't in any kind of great shape, and it was just a few chapters, and now when I look at, at where it is, and it's 272 pages, 

[00:09:23] it's kind of hard to, to envision the final thing. So what, what I encourage people to do is say, if I can write today, even five minutes or 10 minutes, I'm, I'm working towards my goal. If I can jot down ideas, and that's what I started doing on my phone, even if I'd wake up in the night. and couldn't go back to sleep.

[00:09:44] That is a process that's helped me because what I've learned is when I have things on my mind, and if I don't get them out somehow, they just, I just ruminate on them.

[00:09:53] And it's so fun now to look back on that and see the progress. And of course, a lot of that [00:10:00] progress was between, because I brought other people in, you know, I brought other collaborators and experts and people with different ideas. And I'll still remember, or I'll never forget the day I was in my office at UW Milwaukee.

[00:10:14] And I was talking with one of my colleagues, Ann Swartz, who's also a mom and a very accomplished professor and exercise physiologist and a wonderful mentor for me. And we were talking about Eat, Move, Groove and the 22 11 plan that is in the book, and I had only worked through the eat part of the plan.

[00:10:35] And she said, Well, Susie, 2211 is exactly what we need for the move, too, because she's an exercise person. And so we started discussing how that might play out, and sure enough, that's in the book, and she's quoted. And so, um, I just, I honestly believe, and this is part of my spiritual belief, is that, you know, people come into our lives and hopefully we can be open to what's happening at the time.[00:11:00] 

[00:11:00] And I see this book, for example, it, Maybe the pressure's off me a little because I know there've been all these people who have helped me with it and given me ideas and brought in their point of view and modified things when I wasn't sure if something really was working. And so that gives me the confidence to put it out there because yes, it's my idea and my words primarily.

[00:11:24] But I see it as just a multitude of people who are getting this book out with me, including you. So I appreciate that so much.

[00:11:34] 

[00:11:34] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: That's such a cool way to look at things and I, I mean, I have to tell you just it really resonates with me. I find like if I can, you know, keep in mind that I am, you know, kind of just like a vehicle for the book that I'm working on, that it's just my job to do my part and I don't have to be worried about how it's received. I can make edits to it. I can get expert advice. I can get [00:12:00] like collaboration. it gives me time then to just be like, well, I can just do my best to kind of keep this book moving. Like, I still feel like I'm very accountable to the book that I'm working on, for example.

[00:12:12] Like, it's my job to make sure I finish it and get it done. And at the same time, I don't feel like I need to necessarily let it consume my life. 

[00:12:22] I love it when I come across something like what you're doing with this 22 11 idea that can kind of, you know, make it feel like it's within my grasp to have that balance.

[00:12:33] Can you tell people a little bit about this plan? Because I don't think we've told them what that means yet, the 22

[00:12:38] Track 1: Yeah. I, and, and I think your idea of, um, you know, when I, when I listened to you and talked to you and your idea of just being like, take a, take a deep breath and, you know, calm yourself and things are gonna work out. Um, I think this, this is so important because you brought up something [00:13:00] else, which is really important, which is thinking about the success of writing is not so much how it's received by other people.

[00:13:08] Our success in writing is getting out what's inside of us. What we have to say is unique, no matter what it is. Nobody else is doing it the way we're doing it. Nobody has the exact same thing to say. And so, just remembering that, I think, is really, really helpful. Um, I remember one time when I was almost paralyzed by thinking about, Do I say, do I write this this way or this way or, What are my colleagues going to think?

[00:13:33] Or what are, you know, are consumers going to accept this? And I remember my wife Audrey saying to me, she said, success for you is just getting the book out. It's not what other people think or say, because you're doing the best you can within yourself. And, and I think that is really important. And so, so even the idea of 2211, which I'll get to now, um, and I woke up one morning.

[00:13:58] When I was in the middle of [00:14:00] writing, uh, this was several years ago with the idea of 2211. And honestly, this is what happened. I woke up in the morning with this idea of 2211, and even before Caitlin Clark, whom I love and will be watching her today, um, I was, I wore 22 in high school as a softball player.

[00:14:18] I just always loved the, I love twos. I love double things. I, I don't know. I just love the, I love the number 22. But I woke up, And I thought of this idea of 2211 and I said to myself, surely someone's already done this. I mean, surely this is already out there. So I searched and searched and searched to try to find if someone had a 2211 program and nothing that was the same as mine.

[00:14:41] So I said, okay, this is it. I don't even know if I even thought of it myself. I just woke up with it. 

[00:14:46] The 22 11 Plan: Simplifying Nutrition and Exercise

[00:14:46] Track 1: So, Um, so the idea of 22 11 is to try to take all these guidelines. We have all these recommendations, all the confusion around eating and exercising and putting it into this package [00:15:00] that can make sense on a daily basis.

[00:15:03] So not worrying about yesterday, not worrying about tomorrow. Just what can we do a meal at a time essentially is what it is. So the 22 11 It's based on the idea of starting your meal with a 22 whenever you can. 22 is, the first 2 is 2 cups of produce, roughly. So, 2 cups, maybe that's a banana and an apple.

[00:15:23] Maybe that's, uh, 2 cups of salad, you know, just 2 cups of produce. And the second 2 is at least 2 ounces of protein. So, a lot of work I've done through the years around nutrition and exercise has been based on how do we help people move well, certainly perform well, You know, when I was working with the Milwaukee Bucks, it was all about helping these guys get stronger, stay stronger, recover.

[00:15:46] Um, and a lot of that has to do with, um, eating enough protein for sure for your body. And so we know we want to get protein at every meal. So the second two is at least two ounces of protein or roughly 15 grams on a food label. Okay. So maybe two [00:16:00] thirds cup of, Greek yogurt, for example, or two ounces of chicken breast or, you know, a cup of black beans.

[00:16:06] So that's two ounces of protein. So you start with two cups of produce and two ounces of protein. There's your 22. It's that simple. The 11 is two ones. So it's one serving of a grain or a starch, let's say a small potato or slice a whole wheat bread. The second one is one healthy fat. and healthy fats might be nuts or seeds or peanut butter or it might be olive oil or an avocado or olives or, you know, I have a lot of different ideas in the book of how you might put those meals together.

[00:16:38] So that's 2211. So you have two cups of produce, at least two ounces of protein, one grain or starch, one healthy fat. And so every meal You just try to get as close to that as you can. And I talk a lot in the book about, um, this isn't something you have to be perfect at. It isn't something you have to do every meal.

[00:16:56] It's just sort of your foundation that you can start with. [00:17:00] And we know from studies and, and, um, intake data of what we eat in the United States, about 10 percent of Americans meet the fruit and vegetable intake. That's probably the top thing we can do to lower our risk of disease, get the nutrients we need.

[00:17:16] It's a very simple thing to do, but I think sometimes people get um, frustrated with it because they think, oh I can't drink juice because it's too high in sugar, or I can't eat this fruit because it's not organic, or I can't do this, or I can't do that. And, and my approach is you can, and let's focus on what you can do, you can have canned peaches, you can eat applesauce, you can do other things that They don't all have to be fresh and they don't all have to be organic or anything like that.

[00:17:44] So that's really kind of the focus is, you know, start with your 22. Let's get that figured out. I have a piece in the book called the two minute miracle, which is all about, you know, spend a couple minutes the night before to just think about your proteins and your produce, some grains and fats that you have [00:18:00] available.

[00:18:00] Maybe jot them down. I have a downloadable book. downloadable sheet on my website for that. And just make it easy. And the other thing that I have in the, in the book is about putting out a produce bowl or produce plate on your counter. So you can fill that every night. I, we have a beautiful plate at home that was made by a local artist and she's an amazing artist.

[00:18:23] She's actually blind and she makes these beautiful pieces. So when I found out about her, I contacted her and asked her, commissioned her to make a whole, uh, bunch of these beautiful produce plates that I've been giving away to people, and I will send you one, who have been a part of this whole Eat Move Groove thing.

[00:18:45] And she's amazing. And so the, you know, the people you meet along this journey. this journey is incredible. So, so we, I talk a lot about doing little things to remind yourself to make it low stress. So if you have those things, if you [00:19:00] have this beautiful bowl or plate on your counter and you refill it at night and you wake up in the morning and there's a beautiful grapefruit there, you're more apt to eat it.

[00:19:08] But if it's in the bottom of your fridge and you don't really even see it, you're not going to eat it, right? So give yourself, I say, give yourself a pat on the back. Give yourself a hand. Make it easy. And then, um, and then with the movement, it's 22 11. So we have all these national guidelines around exercise.

[00:19:26] But really, if you break down the recommendations, it kind of sifts down to about 22 minutes a day of what I call purposeful movement where you're getting your heart rate rate up, you're increasing your breathing. We might call that cardio. But Cardio can have sort of negative connotation. So I call it movement and 22 minutes a day meets the national guidelines and 11 minutes a day of strength, stability or stretching meets the guidelines for strength.

[00:19:54] And particularly for women, what we know is that a lot of women might get some of [00:20:00] the cardio piece, but maybe not have the strength and we need strength. We need to maintain our strength for so many things, but also that helps us maintain our bone that helps us feel stronger, feel more powerful, more confident.

[00:20:16] And so, the 11 minutes is the strength, stretching, or stability. So, so in the book, I have all kinds of ideas and some things on my website and, you know, how to do this. Um, but that's it. That's the 20 to 11. So, it's not, it's, I don't know. Do you feel like it's simple? I feel like it's simple.

[00:20:33] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: I think it's simple. I think it's doable. And I love that it is just like very practical. It is very practical and it, it keeps it like within reach for people who have a lot going on. 

[00:20:44] I have to tell you, um, you know, it's obviously, you know, It is actually related to writing. I was going to say it's not related to writing, but it is in a weird way. I had started taking this barbell class where I

[00:20:56] learned how to do squats and presses and deadlifts. [00:21:00] I, after just six weeks, my strength has improved so much. It's incredible. It's unbelievable. Like, I probably, the strongest I've been for like at least a decade just because I'm working, you know, with a coach in a small group of women, um, where I'm learning how to do this and really building my strength and kind of like a aggressive way for me.

[00:21:23] Like it's very kind and nice and stuff, but it's like very intentional and purposeful and we're going there and we're like getting much stronger and it's incredible. And I was going to say that it does not relate to my writing, but it actually, that is completely wrong because I have so much confidence

[00:21:41] from doing this and seeing what I can lift grow up.

[00:21:45] I mean, literally doubling in the course of a couple of weeks,

[00:21:48] Track 1: Oh, I believe it.

[00:21:49] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: doubling. And um, when I see that I am capable of doing that, I'm like, What else am I capable of, right? Like

[00:21:58] this book that I'm working on that [00:22:00] feels out of reach sometimes. It is just, it's just a book. Like I can totally do this, right?

[00:22:06] Like if I can lift that after just a couple of weeks and I can do this, I can

[00:22:09] Track 1: Right. Right.

[00:22:11] The Power of Small Steps: Writing, Eating, and Moving

[00:22:11] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: Um, I appreciate you so much, Susie, because what I really liked about what you were saying was like, That, it's kind of simple things, it's little steps, it's little steps with eating, little steps with um, with um, movement, and little steps with writing.

[00:22:29] Track 1: Yes,

[00:22:30] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: it all accumulates and adds on top of each other.

[00:22:33] Track 1: yes, yes, I, I think so. And writing, I mean, I just thought of this right now as you're talking because, you know, your idea of taking that class and being a part of that and being intentional with it and seeing the progress and knowing that those changes can be made in a short period of time is just so wonderful to think [00:23:00] about how you can You know, implement that and all the other things that it can do.

[00:23:03] And I feel like with, again, particularly with women, this idea of strengthening ourselves does so much more than the muscle part. I mean, it is true. You know, we get stronger, we feel stronger. you're going to get more powerful.

[00:23:19] You're going to take that muscle and it's going to be a lot stronger. And that helps us in so many ways, just like you're saying, and it just dawned on me as you were talking that, you know, my book is Eat, Move, Groove. So the groove part is not really 2211 per se. There are 22 ways to get your groove on in the book, and a lot of those have to do with, um, being grateful and being in community and being in nature and figuring out what works for you and, and being in tune with your breathing.

[00:23:50] And it just made me think how writing for both of us and for everyone who wants to write or loves to write, is part of their [00:24:00] groove, because it is a way to take what's inside and find a way to get it out in a very purposeful and positive way. And of course, what we want, particularly as nonfiction writers, and fiction too for that matter, we want to move someone, we want to help someone, we want to solve something for them, we want to offer solutions that might resonate with someone.

[00:24:26] And so, you know, that, that's, Of course, what we, we hope to do with our writing. And so, I, I feel like with you saying, linking that move to your writing, it's so good. I love it.

[00:24:39] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: I think that's so cool, I, I totally see where you're kind of going with that with the groove, and I didn't, I don't think I quite realized how you were kind of setting up the groove within your book. And I can't wait to read that list and see kind of like. What I incorporate in my life, like what feels like it resonates the most. Um, [00:25:00] that's just a really cool way to set up a book. 

[00:25:02] Exploring the Essence of Groove Through Community and Generosity

[00:25:02] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: Cause it's very holistic. 

[00:25:03] Track 1: Yeah, I, and I, I just really believe, for me, someone asked me this the other day, you know, how do you view your book? And I said, you know, I really kind of view it as a memoir, in a way. I mean, it's not a memoir, but I'm telling stories. some stories about what I do or in my life, what, what we do. And when I think about the groove part, I interviewed a lot of people and thought about, of course, read a lot of things and thought about what are the, what do I see as 22 of the most important things for the groove?

[00:25:36] And one of the things that I'm thinking about that comes to mind is all about community, whether it's our community in the Doyon group, The, the five of us who really bonded and helped each other, or I talk also about not only community, but finding your community of generosity. In other words, um, part of grooving is feeling like you're making a difference in the world, [00:26:00] whether you think of that, that is volunteering or doing something to help other people.

[00:26:04] The Joy of Teaching and the Impact of Volunteering

[00:26:04] Track 1: And, um, my years in Milwaukee, of course, I, I just, uh, Retired from full time teaching at UW Milwaukee, but I didn't really, I mean, I'm teaching a course now because I love it. So I'm still doing some teaching for them, which is great. But, um, I wanted to open up some space for this, this venture and this book.

[00:26:21] Finding Your Own Community of Generosity

[00:26:21] Track 1: And, but one of the things that really impacted me that I talk about in the book is with the idea of finding your, your community of generosity. Um, I spent a lot of time when I was in Milwaukee and still periodically when I get back to Milwaukee, um, volunteering with Kinship Community Center. And Kinship is, started out as Riverwest Food Pantry, and it was a pantry, but it's so much more than that now.

[00:26:48] And it's a, and Kinship really does all this community building and helping people with other needs besides food. Um, but I learned so much from Vin and the staff [00:27:00] there and my students came to kinship for a lot of, uh, you know, service, service learning and community building work. And we're all impacted by it so much.

[00:27:09] So we're, we're going to help people get healthy food and yet we come away with so much more. And so that's one of the, you know, that's one of the 22 ways to get your groove on is find your own community of generosity. Can you make a difference where you're helping people, but really, you're being helped as much.

[00:27:32] So, so one of the, the motto there is everyone has something to give and everyone has something to receive. 

[00:27:39] Personalizing Your Groove: Cooking, Eating, and Loving Food

[00:27:39] Track 1: And so I think this idea of supporting people where they are is so important and not having to feel like you're being restrictive is so important to me. And that's, that's some of the feedback I've gotten from the books, from the early readers or the cold readers of the book, um, is how they just feel positive [00:28:00] about it.

[00:28:00] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: I know that as a mom and as someone who is, writing a book. That feeling of grooving

[00:28:07] Track 1: Yes.

[00:28:08] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: eludes me because there's so many things that feel like they have to get done

[00:28:16] Track 1: Right.

[00:28:16] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: single day. I wonder if you could talk a little bit about how to still slip into that groove. Yeah,

[00:28:32] Simplifying Snacks and Integrating Movement into Your Routine

[00:28:32] Track 1: again, keeping it simple and easy. So I used to tell my clients we need to make snacks, for example. We could talk about snacks. We need to make snacks as simple as grabbing a Snickers, right? Because, I mean, a Snickers is satisfying and, of course, we have protein and carbs and all the nutrients are in there, but it also tastes good and it's easy to grab.

[00:28:51] So maybe, Um, saving ourselves time and even planning in a little break in the day where it might even [00:29:00] be a writing break. Maybe you're busy with everything, but you grab a snack and you spend five or ten minutes writing. And one of the things that I think is important to keep us going in the day with our energy is to have a snack with a mix of produce and protein.

[00:29:15] So that might be something as simple as in your fridge. You have cheese sticks and baby carrots, or you have some celery sticks and a little thing of hummus. So, you have protein in the hummus and celery sticks, or you have um, an apple and you have a little bit of yogurt. So, you have a little yogurt cup and your apple.

[00:29:32] So, different ways, you know, a handful and what I often eat is a handful of nuts and then I'll slice an apple and I'll be in my back end working. But, I have these ideas of five or six snacks that fit that are protein and produce and they're easy to do. So I don't stress about it. I don't tell myself, Oh, do I really need to eat that?

[00:29:53] Do I not, if I'm hungry or I need to pick me up, I'm going to have a snack and I'm going to get back to work. So [00:30:00] anything we can do from a food standpoint or a movement standpoint to make it simple is really helpful. Um, you know, another thing I did and I'm sure my neighbors thought I was crazy, but, um, I was biking one day and I see this little.

[00:30:14] Stepper that's about yay big. It's not very big. It was plastic red and black and it was out on the curb Somebody was getting rid of it and it just has you know You can step on it and they'll go up and down and I thought to myself Oh my gosh That would be so fun to just put where I'm writing Because I try to get up every 45 minutes or an hour like I talk in the book take a five minute break Do some exercise if I can And so I haul that thing back on my bike and get it cleaned up, put it in right by my desk, behind my desk.

[00:30:47] And that has been the most wonderful thing because when I get up, I see it. If I'm going to go to the bathroom or something, I see it. And so I'll hop on there and I might do three or four minutes, five minutes on that little stepper. And I [00:31:00] get working hard and for five minutes and then I go off and do something else.

[00:31:04] And it's the simple thing that I see it. And so that's another tip I think is really helpful. I use bands a lot, like for a break, exercise bands. So I hang the bands on the door, to the bathroom that I usually do when I'm writing, usually use when I'm writing. So, when I go into the bathroom, I go to the bathroom, and then I'll take the bands, and I might do some bicep and tricep for two minutes, then I'll sit back down.

[00:31:30] Now, I don't think I would do that if I didn't see the band, or if I didn't see the stepper. So, I would say, you know, little things, make the snacks easy and simple. Make ways to, you know, we don't always have time to exercise 30 or 45 minutes a day, but we might have time to take some breaks, five minute breaks, and get a little exercise here or a little, you know, Strength here.

[00:31:56] We feel better. We can sit back down and get more done. [00:32:00] And so, um, you know, just do what works in your day, I would say.

[00:32:04] Leveraging Support and Collaboration for Success

[00:32:04] Track 1: And then the other thing I think has been really helpful to me is finding this kind of support, you know, whether it's in a group, um, one of my dearest friends. Is in champagne where I live she lives Oh five minutes away.

[00:32:21] She has read every ounce of this book. She has given me Feedback on everything and lisa and I make a point Every week, we, at least twice a week, we meet, um, to check in, but we always walk or bike. We, we never sit and talk unless we're going over a manuscript or something, but I look forward to that so much because it's helpful to me with what we're doing.

[00:32:44] We catch up, but we're also moving. So we plan those times when we can move together because it's important to both of us. Any little things you can do like that, that Um, make it simple to eat well, to move well, [00:33:00] to take care of yourself. You know, if we don't take care of ourselves, we can't do any of this.

[00:33:05] And of course, sometimes our own personal projects go last. We know that as moms, we have to take care of everything else. But I think planning in your day to have your writing time whenever that is is really helpful. Um, I made the best progress on my book doing two things and you might remember this because we talked about it in our meetings Um, one of them was Uh, my wife and I would take our camper somewhere.

[00:33:33] She would leave me there and she'd come back and get me four or five days later. And I would be by myself. I had my paddleboard, my bike, sometimes our kayak. Um, so I'd walk in the morning, I'd write, I'd paddleboard in the afternoon, I'd write, I'd get in the kayak at night, I'd write. And Um, it was the best thing I could have ever done, because I'm, I'm doing things I love to do, I love to camp, I love to be in nature, [00:34:00] and I was able to then have, you know, really set writing times, and then the other thing I did is I started, I don't know, for whatever reason, maybe it's my age, I don't know, but I started Getting up, you know, just being awake earlier, and I finally said, why am I sitting, lying here awake at 530 or 6?

[00:34:17] Get up and write. So I started getting up and by between 6 and 8, I would get a ton of writing done. And then I realized, wow, that's a good writing time for me. I never really realized it. So I think being open to how your body responds or what feels good to you is really important.

[00:34:35] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: finding what works for you and being willing to experiment a little bit. I think another thing too that really resonated with me with what you said is setting up your space with a lot of intentionality and thinking about how you can use that space to serve you. Maybe not putting away. I have a stepper too, so it's funny that you say that I

[00:34:56] have a little stepper sitting right here under my desk, um, but [00:35:00] because it's under my desk. I don't use it

[00:35:03] Track 1: Yeah.

[00:35:04] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: but if I left it out, right, and I had to like trip over it or walk over it, like in my office space here, I would probably use it a lot more. I know I use my yoga mat a lot more when I leave it layout

[00:35:15] Track 1: Yes.

[00:35:16] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: And sometimes that's not an option, right? Like if you don't have space at your house or whatever, it may not be an option. But I also think we sometimes get so focused on putting everything away

[00:35:25] or making sure the house looks a certain way

[00:35:28] that like we forget that we live there and it should serve us. Yeah. And it should serve our goals, and it, it shouldn't just serve our kids or our partners

[00:35:37] or whoever, like whoever else is coming into that space, whatever visitor is coming into that space. It should serve us too.

[00:35:43] Track 1: Yes. Yes. I think, I think that's really helpful. And again, making things in plain sight, whatever it is around, you know, for our well being, whether that's food or movement or being able to get outside easily or whatever we do. I think [00:36:00] that's That's really helpful. We have to nurture ourselves if we're going to get these things done and meet our goals.

[00:36:08] And then, you know, collaborating with like minded, positive people. And it's been really interesting, you know, you talk about moms and writing and um, the, The main people who've been so instrumental for me have been really, you know, mostly women who are doing this too and trying to juggle everything and being so helpful to one another.

[00:36:35] it's been very overwhelming at times But it's also I've met such wonderful people who've been great resources And so I would say to you know to all the moms who listen who are writers Finding people who can be really positive and supportive is huge To help us because you know, we can't we can't know it all we can't know how to do it all.

[00:36:59] There's no [00:37:00] way

[00:37:01] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: No, and we shouldn't have to, right? Like, we shouldn't have to, we should be able to work together and empower each other on this journey that we're on. 

[00:37:09] Empowering Each Other on Our Journeys

[00:37:09] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: I think that's one of the great things that's like coming out of like what I understand your idea around grooving to be is that You know, you're not doing this alone.

[00:37:18] Like you can serve others and others can serve you too. You can find your groove in that way. Um, you know, we are recording this on international women's day, which is

[00:37:29] so, so cool.

[00:37:31] Track 1: Yes, it's amazing.

[00:37:33] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: It's amazing. I can't believe how it worked out.

[00:37:35] Track 1: I know.

[00:37:36] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: if you were going to share, you know, some other ways in which we can kind of empower people on this journey, whatever journey they're on, whether it's a journey to, you know, eat more mindfully and move with more intention and find their groove, or whether it's a journey to, you know, get that book done and get it out into the world or whatever, whatever. Kind of journey that they personally are on. [00:38:00] How can we empower each other to make our goals happen?

[00:38:06] Track 1: Yeah, I, I think the biggest thing is to share our successes, to do things like you're doing with this amazing podcast, to share our successes and be there for other women, I think is really important. You know, it just, I just thought, as you were saying, again, International Women's Day, the illustrator in my book, Irena.

[00:38:30] is from Turkey. You know, I found her on Fiverr because I learned about Fiverr and how to find, and she just seemed like a good fit. She has been the most wonderful illustrator. Um, and again, my designers right here in Champaign, Kirsten is incredible. I had two amazing editors. Um, Sheila Buff is my developmental editor.

[00:38:53] She was incredible. And my copy editor, Sandy Wendell, was amazing. So I just think of all [00:39:00] these. Women who have helped me and I think that's what it takes and so don't be afraid to reach out You know one thing I've had to do Because I've been I've been working as a college professor the last quite long time in my career And so I've had to get out of that bubble And then put myself out there, ask for help, contact people, um, try to reach out.

[00:39:24] And now I'm in the mode of, you know, my book launch is live. So, you know, everybody can get on my book launch, and it's going to stay live for the next several weeks. So it'll be live when this launches. Um, And anybody can get on at eatmovegroove. com. They can contact me. They can send me a question if they want help with something.

[00:39:45] Um, if they get on the book launch, they'll be able to read the book and then hopefully write a review on Amazon, which is how we know these books get out. If, if Amazon, um, sees a lot of reviews that are positive, they'll, you know, they'll move the book up because they know that it's [00:40:00] selling and people are enjoying it.

[00:40:01] I think to myself, I guess, you know, people are willing to help you a lot. And again, I find that, um, for whatever reason, for me, it's been a lot of women who have just stepped forward and helped me. Uh, when I've really needed a lot of help and support. And so I would say we're out there.

[00:40:19] I want to help as many women as possible get their books out. So if I can help, if you have questions, email me, you know, um, be in touch. And let's help each other. I mean, that's what we really have to do.

[00:40:34] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: You know, Susie, I know why we align so well, and it's because we want the same thing. Uh, I don't think I've shared on the podcast before, but I wrote on a post it note in my office, um, at the university where I was working about three years ago. I wrote on a post it that I want to help women write the stories that light their lives on fire, right?

[00:40:56] That they love, that fill them up. And I'm [00:41:00] just sitting here with just so much gratitude. Thank you. Right now, it's just like, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude because I feel like I didn't know what that was going to look like. And I feel like it's here and it's happening

[00:41:14] and that is just incredible and I'm so grateful for it.

[00:41:17] And I get to meet amazing women like you because of it. So thank you so much for being on this podcast. 

[00:41:25] Maximizing Your Online Presence and Engaging with Your Audience

[00:41:25] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: Um, I know we've shared a little bit about, you know, what you have going on, but could you quickly kind of tell people if they're looking to find out more about you, where do they call?

[00:41:34] Track 1: Yes, thank you. And Jen, you have inspired me. So what you, what you put on that post it note is happening this very minute. So thank you for writing that post it note. Um, you can find me online. My website is Uh, eatmovegroove. com. So you'll find me there. I'm at eatmovegroove on social media. I'm, you know, building out my social media.

[00:41:57] So please follow me on [00:42:00] social media on Instagram and even TikTok. I'm starting to do some things on there. And, um, I'm really trying to build out my YouTube channel because what I've been finding is that people want to hear directly from me and from my team. And so I've got some you know, movement videos on there.

[00:42:19] We have some relaxation. We have some, uh, quick five minute strength videos and then some of my videos. And I'll be doing interviews with, um, people on my team and folks that have been in the book. And eventually I want to do a podcast as well, but, uh, that'll be down the road. But, um, so the YouTube channel is Eat, Move, Groove, uh, to get on that.

[00:42:42] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: People definitely need to go check out your social media because I saw on Instagram, I feel like it was a little while ago, but the Lunchable

[00:42:50] with the Gouda, the adult Lunchable with the Gouda.

[00:42:53] People have to check it out. I plan to make it. It's on my grocery list to get the

[00:42:57] things for the avocado and the gouda this [00:43:00] weekend and I can't wait.

[00:43:01] It looked

[00:43:01] amazing. It looked so good.

[00:43:03] Track 1: Yeah. And that was actually one of, one of my former students, Courtney Kramowitz is doing her own nutrition coaching and she said, Hey, you know, send this along, we'll collaborate. And so, you know, that's another example of, uh, working together with someone who's doing amazing work. 

[00:43:20] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: Suzy, thank you so much for being here. It has been such a joy.

[00:43:24] Track 1: Thank you so much for having me. I have loved every minute of it, and I appreciate you so much, Jen.

[00:43:31] squadcaster-8dah_1_03-08-2024_151040: 

[00:43:31] Final Thoughts and Encouragement

[00:43:31] Hey, it's Jen here. Listen, if this podcast resonates with you, then would you please do me a favor? Number one, share it with somebody else. It's up to each of us to empower each other on this journey, and that's one of the values that I am trying to Really hard to live into as part of this podcast. So please, if this podcast resonates with you, share it with a friend who it might help to number two, it would [00:44:00] mean so much to me.

[00:44:02] If you would leave me a rating and review on Apple podcast or on Spotify, because that will help other people find this show to third. And finally, I want to invite you to get on board. Signed up for my absolutely free newsletter, not spam. It's not salesy. I just want to support you in your writing goals.

[00:44:22] Head over to momfirstcoaching. com and you'll find a link there where you can easily sign up. Thank you so much for listening to this episode in case nobody has told you today, you are a beautiful, resourceful, whole, creative human being. You are not broken. You are an incredible writer. Keep on writing. I will see you next time.​