The Change Agents Podcast With Dr. James Rouse

So many relationships have suffered over the past year. Intimacy has suffered. Here are some helpful ideas concerning how food can support building or re-building a healthy relationship and intimacy.

Spirituality is true. There are so many highs in spirituality and in "being spiritual." And of course, there are valleys of darkness. There are different sets of values and ways that will emerge as we begin to move out of various phases of COVID. Wherever you are, be true to you.

We are doing really well at calling others out. Some of it necessary, some of it, not so much. Consider the power of calling in. Look to be a leader to encourage more love, more energy and acceptance.

It's time to begin the dance of healing. There are a lot of things that may have "hardened" you over this past fourteen months. You may or may not be ready to go back to your old life. It's time to soften, reinvent yourself with more kindness, levity, and peace. Let go of the hard exterior.

With symbols of the pandemic beginning to fall away (masks, etc), are you ready to be seen? Namaste is a word honoring and recognizing the light within one another. My soul recognizes your soul. We are one. We are the same. Our souls are connected.

To paraphrase the Stoic philosopher, Epictetus: God laid down this law: If you want some good, create it for yourself. Be it for yourself. Good becomes a contagious for other people. Do good for the sake of good.

When we give ourselves permission to let go of the stress, take a break from work, we see many opportunities unfold in the area of health, happiness, and longevity. Vacation and "time away" helps to decrease inflammation, increase libido, improve heart disease and sleep!

Since I have worked as a doctor in the functional medicine space for over two and a half decades, I am often asked to talk about "diet." Well, that's valid. Today I want to talk to you about primary versus secondary food and what it means to nourish ourselves mindfully and spiritually first.

Surround yourself with authentic, positive people. Life satisfaction is relative to human connection with everyone. It is important to be seen and to see others.

The world needs more compassion, more vulnerability, less judgment, more love, less politicizing. We have an opportunity, as spiritual beings, to be infectious with the idea that we are better together. Enough of the us and them. We are being asked to step up and radiate a higher vibration.

Whether you are feeling "in love" or simply experiencing being in an atmosphere of love, part of your physiology is better for it. Under the influence of love, we are smarter, kinder, less stressed, more perceptive and intuitive, and have less inflammation. We need more love medicine.

What do you need to be seen as? Don't allow your dreams to be overshadowed by shame. Claim your worthiness. Catching our breath has a lot to do with our willingness to be courageous each and every day.

When we lose lean muscle we fast-forward the aging process. Don't assume that muscle loss is a given as you get older. It's not. Sarcopenia (loss of lean muscle) happens, not automatically, because we stop moving our body and challenging our muscles. Here's how to stay strong and live long.

There are opportunities within our cells - to take the good parts and let go of, forgive, or elevate those traits are are no longer serving us. All of our relations are woven into the fabric of our being. We can heal the trauma and the drama.

How do you know when you're making progress? How do you know when you are living on purpose? The answer to both of these questions is that you know when you are bringing forth more kindness. Life is moving fast. It's easy to get lost. Lead with kindness.

One of the greatest ways we can help ourselves heal is to decide to forgive and love ourselves right where we are. You may not have always acted or behaved how your current self wishes you would have; know that that version of yourself believed it was the best you could do in that moment.

The number one biomarker for aging is loss of lean muscle (sarcopenia). This loss of muscle doesn't have to happen. Give your muscles a reason to grow and thrive - as you continue to grown and thrive yourself.

Every morning we have the opportunity to create vibrancy. There is a spiritual momentum that wants to come through. Salvador Dali said, "I don't do drugs. I am drugs." Allow me to take you through a journey of visualizing your best life.

We are all going through something these days. I know how hard life can be. It isn't easy to show up and be kind. Yet, kindness is one of the top qualities we can and do emulate. The way that you show up, the energy you circulate, has a major impact on everyone around you.

Are you devoted and passionate about your vocation - the work you do, about your life? We all need to know the direction our lives are headed. Abraham Maslow talks about self-actualization as the ONLY way to truly embody a life well-lived.