Imperfect Progress with Anne Guzman

“What’s the worst that can happen? We only have one life, you have to go for things...” David Swain David Swain is no stranger to making big changes and taking the “leap.” He shares his story with us during this insightful conversation, giving us a look inside the origins of his own drive and his ability to thoughtfully navigate change throughout his life and career. From Small Town to Big Business, How David Swain Moves Through Change to Live a Life of No Regrets How did a psychology and economics major become one of the early employees at Facebook and their Head of Technology Communications? How did David Swain decide to leave this position at one of the hottest companies in Silicone Valley to help grow another start up, now one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, as the Global Head of Communications? You would think Dave would have settled at this point, so you can understand why I was eager to ask Dave what fueled him, to at the peak of his career, leave, and make what was his biggest leap yet, becoming an entrepreneur as the CEO and Co Founder of Prokit. Wouldn’t we all love to cultivate the ability to know ourselves so well, that we trust our process and the feelings we’re experiencing, when we’re faced with a big life or career change? I know I would love to have this clarity and I was hungry to learn all about Dave’s process and his suggestions for listeners. Here’s some of what we cover during today’s episode: How Dave’s youth impacted his outlook on life Having conversations with people and not going it alone. How to learn what makes you tick. Understanding your strengths.and how to maximize them. Visualizing the type of career that’s a great fit for you. How to change your outlook if you’re in a career rut. The rationale on “enjoying the grind.” The mindset of ‘having no regrets’. I took so much wisdom from this conversation and left very energized! David has so much practical insight to share from his many life and career experiences. I truly hope that you leave this podcast motivated to take agency over decisions you may be struggling with by implementing some of the techniques Dave suggests throughout. Please share this episode with anyone you know who may need help navigating life and career changes (don’t we all!?). To learn more about David Swain or to connect with him online, please see the links below. Definitely check out Dave’s new entrepreneurial venture, Prokit! It’s free to join and a wonderful place to learn, share and become part of a community. David Swain Prokit Page: https://theprokit.com/p/swain/ Prokit Join Today FREE: https://theprokit.com/ Common Threads Podcast: https://theprokit.com/collection/the-common-threads-on-apple-podcasts/ (also on all major podcast platforms) Twitter: https://twitter.com/David_Swain LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/swaindavid/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swain/ Subscribe to Imperfect Progress on Apple for updates on new episodes and please leave a review to help make this the best podcast possible for listeners. Thanks for listening! Thank you to David Langstaff for the original music for the Imperfect Progress podcast.

“Half of all mental disorders start before the age of 14, you want to get in and prevent them before they start and that means making sure that kids are getting the right nutrition and physical activity and obviously when they get into adolescence not smoking.” Dr. Felice Jacka, Director of The Food and Mood Center and founder and president of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research has dedicated her career researching nutritional psychiatry as well creating programs to mobilize change in our food environment. One of her many goals is to teach the role that lifestyle medicine can play in preventing mental health disorders. With a strong statistics background Dr. Jacka understands how important the role of quality research; intervention studies and meta analysis;  will be in influencing change in the clinical practice setting and was part of one of the first studies looking at dietary intervention and depressive symptoms. “What gets me out of bed in the morning and keeps me doing this with such passion and zeal is the need to address the food environment and the fury I feel that big business has been allowed to sacrifice the health of the people and the planet right across the globe in the pursuit of profits, unimpeded” In our discussion we cover so many interesting areas: Treatment guidelines for mental health disorders: early focus lifestyle medicine Nutrition education for physicians  Gut microbiota and its relationship to our mental health. Gut health: why variety of foods matters Setting up a healthy food environment for your kids with specific practical examples! The SMILES trial: A Randomized controlled trial of dietary improvement for adults with major depression: results and insights Obesity: changing our stereotypes about weight and mental health disorders The food environment and food policy  Dealing with adversity and imperfect progress in life - so much wisdom here from an incredibly strong and resilient woman. Thank you so much for listening to Imperfect Progress. Please share this episode with anyone you believe can benefit and follow here or on your favorite podcast platform for new episodes. Please leave a review! It's super helpful for getting the podcast to more listeners who can learn from these amazing guests. To connect with and learn more about Dr. Felice Jacka's work, see the links below: Food and Mood Center: https://foodandmoodcentre.com.au/ SMILES TRIAL: https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-017-0791-y Brain Changer (Book): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42653041-brain-changer There's a Zoo In My Poo (Kids Book): https://www.amazon.ca/Theres-Zoo-Poo-Felice-Jacka-ebook/dp/B08887C4W3 Twitter: https://twitter.com/FeliceJacka Deaken University: https://www.deakin.edu.au/about-deakin/people/felice-jacka LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prof-felice-jacka/ Thank you to David Langstaff for his original music.

It’s SUPER hot out there this summer so this week’s episode with Dr. Heather Logan Sprenger is fitting, since we dive into hydration and regulating body temperature so we can beat the heat! Listeners will gain insights into Heather’s youth in sport and how this played into her long career as an elite athlete and professional athlete in the sports of hockey and road cycling. While cycling full time Heather was also doing her PhD…that’s intense and I had some questions about how she managed this work life balance. Next we dive into some science where Heather translates her knowledge so well in regards to sodium intakes and losses, how humidity plays into the picture, individuality in sweat rate and composition and new exciting science on menthol mouth rinsing and it’s potential to up your power (yes the kind you buy in the store!).  Heather leaves us with some great insights about how to determine our sweat loss and sodium losses as well as some actionable things we can start doing today to improve our hydration and post training/race recovery. With Heather’s experience as a professional athlete she’s able to relate well to the importance of hydration and maximizing performance through ergogenic aids. Her thoughts on cramping and sodium intake will be insightful for the athletes tuning in (hint it’s not always sodium!).   Heather shares some unforgettable wisdom on managing uncertainty and staying the course when progress isn’t going as smoothly as you may have imagined on your journey from A to B. Her words really stuck with me and will become one of my new mantras…wait for it! I think you’ll love what Dr. Logan-Sprenger has to say about imperfect progress.    During this episode we discuss: The path from young athlete to professional athlete, PhD and Professor   Sweat rates and individuality  Sodium loss and sodium’s role in the body  Tips on hydrating during performance and recovery  Menthol mouth rinsing – the science behind it  Moving through difficult and uncertain processes in life and a mantra I’ll never forget! Thanks for listening and please share this episode with anyone who may enjoy and learn from it.   You can connect with Dr. Heather Logan-Sprenger through any of the links below.   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-sprenger-ba75283a/?originalSubdomain=ca Ontario Tech University: https://healthsciences.ontariotechu.ca/people/faculty/heather-sprenger.php Twitter: https://twitter.com/HLoganSprenger1

Welcome to the Imperfect Progress Podcast! I’m excited to share this episode focused around girls in sport, women in coaching and community involvement with author, athlete and entrepreneur Molly Hurford. If you love cycling and you love reading, you and Molly Hurford (@mollyjhurford) will have a few things in common. Let’s add writing, travel and small dogs to that list too! Molly Hurford is passionate about getting girls on bikes and reading books, so much so that she’s writing books about the topic and reading them online during the pandemic to keep the momentum of her mission alive. This conversation takes the listener down many interesting roads, starting with Molly’s own path as a young female and how sport and reading did or didn’t play into her story. This is a great story with a twist I didn’t expect. It gave me new perspective on her books as well. We touch on many other interesting and important topics including: The Rally Report:: Girls participation in sport in Canada Women in coaching positions – stats and why this matters Accessibility to sport – challenges & ideas Creating community Nourishing a growth mindset in young girls and celebrating effort and hard work. I think this topic is incredibly important. Globally kids are not moving enough. The arrival of the current pandemic is increasing screen time, possibly worsening the lack of physical activity. It’s so important that we play our part as far as reaching and then including children who may not be exposed to sport through family and now through school. An active lifestyle has far reaching positive outcomes both mentally and physically. Instilling active habits in youth can pay health dividends for years to come. Where can you connect with Molly online? Follow the links below. Website: https://consummateathlete.com/ Shred Girls Series Books: https://shred-girls.com/ Podcast: https://consummateathlete.com/category/podcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/mollyjhurford LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mollyjhurford/ Thank you so much for tuning into the IMPERFECT PROGRESS Podcast! Please share this episode with anyone who may learn or be interested and subscribe on your favorote podcast platform and leave a review, it's super helpful for getting the podcast out there! Stay tuned for more interesting conversations and I appreciate you listening today. Keep active and stay healthy everyone. (Thank you to David Langstaff for creating the music for the intro and close of the podcast. I love when local musicians contribute to creative projects). Save

"There’s still this notion that, in female athletes, that it’s ok to lose their period during high intensity training in the middle of a season, cross country or track and field for example, and I continually have to educate that that’s not normal and that lack of period is a good sign that something is off…” Dr. Emily Kraus Dr. Emily Kraus is a Sports Medicine Physician working out of Stanford Children’s Health Center, where her focus is rehabilitation and sports related injuries as well as injury prevention. Asked why Emily does the incredible work she does, she speaks about a life long love of sport and an understanding of how important it is to be injury free as an athlete, so you can be out there doing what you love most. As an seasoned athlete herself, Emily recently blasted a 2:50 marathon PR! She understands the intricacies of sport and the importance of health relating to longevity in an athletic pursuits, versus acute tactics that can often backfire and leave athletes on the sidelines. Our conversation sheds light about the effects of relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-s) on our bone health and why this is important for athlete performance as well as our later years in life. Dr. Emily Kraus discusses: the impact of low energy availability on bone health and other aspects of performance and physiology the importance of getting calcium and vitamin D through the diet where possible why rest is such a crucial part of the training cycle, necessary for optimal bone health contraception and missed periods in female athletes the natural process of puberty and how young athletes can re-frame their process as their own and avoid comparisons There’s a lot of wisdom from Dr. Kraus in this podcast. I truly believe these are topics that need to infiltrate sporting communities, including coaches and parents, in order to create a healthier sporting experience for all athletes at any age. In addition to the audio link below, Dr. Kraus created this amazing info graphic to further clarify some points we discuss on the podcast. Please share this with anyone who may benefit. Tune in and leave any comments or questions below. You can tag Dr. Emily Kraus in the comments as well! Thanks for listening and sharing these important messages. Click on the link below to listen now! For more information on how to connect with Dr. Emily Kraus on social media or through her practice, please see the links below. Stanford Health Care: https://stanfordhealthcare.org/doctors/k/emily-kraus.html Prokit: https://theprokit.com/p/ekraus/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-kraus-03926889/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilykrausmd/?hl=en

With decades of experience in the health and fitness industries, Dr. Alwyn Wong is a wealth of knowledge. Alwyn has worked with athletes in the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, and PGA, as well as Olympic, and IFBB athletes. He currently works as a Chiropractic Doctor out of Toronto, Canada. Alwyn specializes in acupuncture and active release techniques and more recently you’ll find him speaking on anti-aging and stress reduction. Alwyn also teaches at a traditional acupuncture school and operates his business Zone Health and Performance, a company dedicated to educating fitness professionals. It’s safe to say he’s staying curious and current. Dr. Wong joined me for an insightful conversation that takes us through the body’s responses to stress and how stress can impact our body’s ability to put on muscle, recover from exercise and age optimally. He also walks us through a myriad of reasons why endurance athletes should consider cross-training to prevent injuries, even at the expense of potentially cutting workouts a few miles short to do so. What we discuss during the episode: Strengthening the muscles neglected during training Acupuncture: what’s really happening when you’re lying on a table with needles in your skin? Foam rolling, tennis balls, scraping and cupping – are they valuable tools for athletes? The body’s response to stress and how stress can undermine your training efforts What you can start today for only ONE MINUTE to get your body into a “rest and digest” state I learned a lot from our conversation and it was a great reminder for me to incorporate some simple movements and habits back into my daily life. You can find Dr. Alwyn Wong at the links below. If you have any comments please post below or feel free to reach out to Alwyn on Instagram where is most active on social media. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dralwynwong/ Anatomy Course: http://anatomyofmovementonline.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/dralwynwong Website: https://dralwynwong.com/

“I equate focusing on health with high performance and when you have a healthy resilient body then you’re going to get a better performance and it’s going to be sustainable. Making that connection is key,  it’s not choosing one or the other.” Leah Kirchmann If you follow women’s cycling, Leah Kirchmann will be a familiar name to you. As one of the world’s most consistent performers on the professional road circuit, riding with Team Sunweb, it’s no surprise that Leah has a purposeful strategy for her nutrition and mindset. Leah describes herself as a learner. Her unquenchable thirst for knowledge about all things nutrition makes that abundantly clear. Her degree in nutrition sciences comes in handy not only in her own pursuits, but also when she’s mentoring young female athletes as a Fast and Female ambassador. Our conversation takes us down many interesting roads, including: some of Leah’s fueling strategies tactics Leah uses to help sharpen her mindset Leah's thoughts on young female athletes and nutrition body image and diet trends the joy that food and baking brings into Leah's life books Leah is reading It was my pleasure to speak with Leah and I’m excited for you to have the opportunity to step inside the Performance Hub and hear what she had to say. Click below to tune into the podcast episode. Share any comments or questions below and share this episode with anyone who may be interested and can learn from our conversation. Thank you for listening! Here are some links based on our conversation including a few of Leah’s favorite books and where you can connect with Leah on social media. Thanks for tuning in to the Imperfect Progress Podcast! Prokit: https://theprokit.com/p/leahkirchmann/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/L_Kirch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leahkirchmann/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-kirchmann-oly-56606924/ Brain Changer (book) https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9781529321296?gC=4cfad707612&gclid=CjwKCAjw_qb3BRAVEiwAvwq6VsPKvGPXiiLaiSX5MuPGw3fTyEV2UAOo4GJl4qRvetWDY34o7Wj3vRoCJx4QAvD_BwE The Athlete’s Gut (book) https://www.velopress.com/books/the-athletes-gut/

Athletes all over the world are facing uncertainty about when the next competition is and where their focus should be right now. Although athletes tend to be resilient and forward thinking, these times present athletes with a unique stress, compared to the almost expected ‘forks in the road’ that they contend with regularly. A good coach helps us navigate our way through difficult situations and helps us to adjust and refocus. Through experience, foresight and the ability to remain calm, a great coach can be an athlete’s best asset. I met Tim Cusick a decade ago, while working as a sports nutritionist at a cycling camp in Pennsylvania. Tim is the ultimate professional and a man of true integrity. He’s definitely the coach I’d want in my corner if I was competing today. Tim embodies a wealth of knowledge about cycling and data analytics. Additionally, Tim’s life experiences have culminated in his forward thinking, focused and calm in the eye of a storm type personality. Tim has evolved into one of the world’s top cycling coaches, is the founder and head coach of of Velocious Cycling along side partner Kathy, and works as the ‘WKO Product Lead’ at Training Peaks. As a coach, Tim is focused on supporting female athletes. Through his experience he has learned of the disparity of women in sport and it has become of passion of his to be a part of the change by providing more opportunity for female athletes to succeed. Currently Tim coaches world class athletes including Amber Neben, Rebecca Rusch and Emma Grant. I’m excited to share this conversation with Tim today. Tim shares some candid answers about how to manage training during these uncertain times. He shares some incredible insights into how some of the best athletes in the world are looking into the horizon and working on “succeeding” every day as both athletes and human beings. I hope this conversation somehow resonates with you and propels you to look forward as an athlete, while inspiring you to work on challenges that keep you moving in the days and months ahead. Some of the things you can look forward to hearing about during our conversation include but are not limited to: Working on succeeding and what that looks like for you Looking ahead to the horizon – thinking of a multi year plan Coaches don’t motivate you but here’s what they can do Creating a challenge for yourself What Tim thinks about “maintenance mode” right now Using the indoor trainer as a “tool.” Specificity of training Working on mental strengths Heat adaptation You can conect with Tim through any of the following links: Velocious Cycling: www.velociouscyclingadventures.com (Training Peaks) https://www.trainingpeaks.com/wko5/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TimCusick123 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tim_cusick_coach/ Instagram (VelociousCycling): https://www.instagram.com/velociouscyclingadventures/ Thank you Tim! Keep the rubber side down everyone and wind at your back from here on it. Thanks for listening to Imperfect Progress!