Today's episode features Erica Ballard from Erica Ballard Health. At first, Erica struggled with her self image and finding out what "healthy" really meant. Through experimentation and education, she unlocked how to really help others achieve their peak health. Now she's helping others and educating the world on what real health is. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode! Episode Summary Erica's Background Erica thought looking good was the key to her happiness She also thought she was doing fitness and health the right way Erica was actually working at a non-profit promoting healthcare and wellness Unfortunately, this non-profit wasn't promoting the best practices Eventually, she came to the realization that wellness isn't one size fits all It took her a while to find what worked for her Creating an Experiment Mindset The program that Erica went through pushed you to challenge your wellness beliefs It would convince you to be vegan and then highlight the benefits of meats Eventually, you start to see what makes real sense to you and not just following a narrative Then we discuss problems with the food pyramid and breakfast being the most important meal of the day To find what works for you she promotes experimenting Introduce one new piece to your wellness journey at a time and keep what works for you Crowding In vs Eliminating Erica promotes that you bring in the things that you want instead of focusing on the cut Add in more grains and more water, the things you're cutting out will eliminate itself Challenge yourself on the things you are hanging onto that are keeping you from wellness goals How are those bad habits serving you? Then Erica drops all kind of knowledge on us around sugar Healthy People Perform We discuss how health and wellness goes beyond life expectancy It also impacts your job performance and thus your profit margins Entrepreneurs love to boast about performing on four hours of sleep That's impressive But imagine how well they'd perform on eight hours of sleep! Turn your good (which might be great for everyone else) into your great The All-Important Sleep Don't eat close to sleeping (2-3 hours between food and sleep) Get off the phone before bedtime Don't drink caffeine after 2 pm Sleep is the first thing Erica recommends you to work on for wellness We need 7-8 hours per night! Performing on four hours of sleep isn't interesting or impressive Key Takeaways One size fits one: Erica highlights over and over just how personal that fitness and wellness are, experiment! Good Intentions: Even though Erica was working at a non-profit promoting health, she was still unknowingly a part of the problem Call to Action Experiment with your own health and wellness journey. Pick one thing this week to add. Whether it's exercise, water, or greens, just add one thing. If you see an improvement, keep it, and add another. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners Looking for a low-cost cell phone service provider with great coverage? Look no further. Mint Mobile provides the same premium coverage you’re used to, but at a fraction of the cost because everything is online. All their plans come with unlimited talk and text and you can choose the data plan that’s right for you and get the plan shipped to your door for free! Go to MintMobile.com/FiShow to get started now for just $15 per month.  Erica's Information