Mind-Body Connection: Nicole Harrington on Healing Trauma and Building Healthy Habits

Brad Minus: [00:00:00] And welcome back to another episode of life changing challengers. As always, I'm your host, Brad minus. And I am so delighted and extremely honored to have Nicole Harrington on the show today. She is a narrative coach. She's a speaker. She has a certificate from the health coach institutes, and we're really, really excited to hear her story.

It's going to be a doozy ladies and gentlemen. So Nicole, how you doing?

Nicole Harrington: Hi, thanks for having me. Yeah, I'm doing good.

Brad Minus: The privilege and the pleasure is all mine. So as I ask everyone, Nicole, can you tell us a little bit about your childhood? What was the compliment of your family where you grew up? And what was it like to be Nicole as a kid?

Nicole Harrington: Yeah, I started swimming when I was five. So I was very playful in the water. Um, So I loved swimming. I loved, you know, being in the sun. Um, it wasn't until high school that I really [00:01:00] felt like I wasn't good enough swimming. So that did come to play, um, because I was on a very competitive year round team. Um, but thankfully in high school, I also found a water polo and I was one of the, you know, fastest just because not everybody was a swimmer on the team.

Um, but, or maybe even like middle school, I didn't feel good enough as a swimmer. Um, and I was also like in the water, like four or five hours a day.

Brad Minus: Those club teams can be, I mean, they, they work hard.

Nicole Harrington: Yeah. Yeah.

Brad Minus: So were your parents supportive?

Nicole Harrington: Yeah. My mom actually was like on the deck with me. She, she would stay at the practice.

Um, she was a stay at home mom, so she was very involved in my life and, and supported it also, like we, we drove, um, I live in, it was like maybe an hour. [00:02:00] Drive to practice to go to, um, North Bay aquatics, which was a really good, is still a good swim team. Um, like I'm like, you know, changing in the car. So, um, yeah, I learned how to.

Brad Minus: And did you, so you obviously lived an hour away from North Bay. Where did, where, where was, where did you actually grow up?

Nicole Harrington: No, I, um, I live. Uh, it's Marin County, so it still is in Marin County, but it was, you know, it was like in the back of Tiburon that was the pool we went to. So it was a little bit farther away, but yeah.

Brad Minus: Yeah.

Nicole Harrington: I have two sisters. Um, one's a little bit older. She's 11 years older than me. And then the others a few years older than me.

Brad Minus: Did they swim as well?

Nicole Harrington: Yes. [00:03:00] Um, Jessica, who's a few years older than me. Um, she probably started swimming and then it became more my thing. Um, yeah. Yeah.

Brad Minus: Just a water family.

Nicole Harrington: Yeah.

No, my dad swam and my grandpa played water polo. So definitely a water family.

Brad Minus: Wow. Yeah. That's, that's interesting that you played water polo. That's not like an answer that I get or like people start swimming and they're doing the laps, they're on swim team. And then all of a sudden they moved to water polo.

And. Not to be misogynistic, but definitely women. You don't hear that a lot either. Um, going from, going from swimming, at least here you don't, you don't see it. So yeah. Is there

Nicole Harrington: a big water polo in Florida?

Brad Minus: Not at all. That's really, that's what I was saying. Yeah.

And you know, I, I grew up in, I grew up in the Chicagoland area and uh, yeah, [00:04:00] never heard of La Carte. I mean, I've heard of it. Because I saw it on TV a couple of times, but like down here, lacrosse is huge. And I, I didn't know anything about lacrosse much about it, but it's a cool looking sport. Um, but that's cool.

So what would you say you were like in high school?

Nicole Harrington: Um, I kind of floated, like I had a few groups that I would hang out with. Um, but like I had one best friend, maybe two, um, and then. Yeah, we kind of just like floated around until probably senior year then I like hung out with I had like really smart friends And I was not I didn't feel like I was really that smart but like all my friends were like valedictorian level, you know

Brad Minus: So if I could if I could fist bump you right now I would because I was exactly the same way All my [00:05:00] friends, just like that, they were all smart.

They were doing physics and stuff. And I was just like, if I was lucky to get through like, you know, trigonometry, um, and those guys are in physics and they're in calculus and calculus too, and they're in honors, and I'm just like skiing by, so I get it. Um, now what they didn't have, what you might have, but what, what, but my, what my friends didn't have was street smarts, like I could get around.

Right. As a, as an only kid, I was. I was taught the way of the world a little bit more, you know, how things work, why, you know, why people do things with the way they do. Um, so I was able to kind of get around and I had a lot less fear about talking to adults because I was an only child. So that helped, you know, kind of helped it became like the street smart thing.

You know, they were academics. I was street smart. We all. We all worked together. It was great. Um, so did you go to, did you go to a university college?

Nicole Harrington: Yeah, I went to a state, state school, um, near where I grew [00:06:00] up. Um, I went to Sonoma state, um, where I continued swimming. I was, I led the, you know, water polo.

It was actually a co ed water polo team. They had a division two water polo girls, women, but, um, yeah. I just like didn't apply. I don't know. I was more interested in my kinesiology major, which I absolutely loved. Um, I loved every class in that major. It was great. So,

Brad Minus: oh, wow. Kinesiology. That's amazing.

That's, you know, basically the study of how the body moves. You and I can have long discussions. I love that. So, um, how did you do in, how'd you do in college? You're a pretty good student.

Nicole Harrington: Um, I, I was good. I mean, I wish that I'd known more about like audio listening. Because now I'm like, I'm reading more than I ever have because I'm listening to books.

Like I wish that I'd had that resource in [00:07:00] college. Um, probably would have done better, but yeah, I know. I mean, since I loved every class, it was, it was more of, um, I was very interested in it, but you know, um, you have to take all the GEs and stuff too.

Brad Minus: Um,

Nicole Harrington: Yeah.

Brad Minus: So that's awesome. I, I, uh, I was listening to a podcast the other day and a guy was, the guy was talking about how, how important and how, um, valuable, you know, listening has been, you know, cause obviously you can just like a podcast, like you're doing right now, you know, you can listen to it anywhere.

You can listen to things anywhere. You can listen to it in the car. You can listen to it on, uh, on a run. You can listen to it on a walk. You can listen to it while you're in line at the, whatever, Um, you know what I mean? So you really can listen anywhere. You can't watch video everywhere. You can't watch video in the car or at least you shouldn't.

Um,

Nicole Harrington: especially if you're driving. Yeah, exactly.

Brad Minus: Um, so, you know what I mean? So audio is great, but what he, what was [00:08:00] very valuable, what he talked about is, and his name was Ash. Um, and he said that, well, there's some of the times that what's nice about it is that I could speed it up.

Nicole Harrington: Yes.

Brad Minus: Yes,

Nicole Harrington: I, I absolutely, I just read, um, uh, the big leap by gay Hendrix.

Yes. And now I'm just reading it through it again, like on double speed. He talks really fast, but, um, I'm like, Oh yeah, I remember that. And it's really sinking back in. Um,

Brad Minus: yeah. I'm not sure about people that talk fast, but people that talk slower and you're kind of like, you want to get through it. Um, and especially I think personal development books.

You can grasp it. You know what I mean? As long as the, as, as long as the, um, as the speaker, isn't daring to, uh, um, gay

Nicole Harrington: Hendricks,

Brad Minus: gay Hendricks, right. I'm [00:09:00] looking at Harrington. I'm thinking Hendricks, I'm losing it. And it's Sunday. So I, I'm dreading having to start the week again. Um, but anyway, I, I was thinking, you know, that, you know, if it's not, he doesn't speak like him.

If you've got a regular, you know, you can get through it and you can still comprehend it. You know, at double speed. And now it's like audio, audible with audible,

Nicole Harrington: it

Brad Minus: doesn't change the pitch of the voice. It's not like you're listening to the chipmunks.

Nicole Harrington: Yeah, that's funny,

Brad Minus: right? Um, so, so when you got out of school, what did you, what'd you end up doing?

Nicole Harrington: Yeah, I was applying for grad school. Um, I wanted to become a physical therapist. Beautiful. Yeah. Unfortunately I never got in. So I, I actually applied for six years in a row. Like, I was dedicated. Like, when I say I loved the All my classes I really did. So I was like, they're going to see that. I [00:10:00] love this.

So, you know, someone's going to see. So I applied to a lot of different schools for many years. But, um, so once I stopped applying during that time, I was, um, working customer service jobs. I was also, you know, coaching on the side, the high school water polo team. Um, and, Once I stopped applying, I was like, okay, Nicole, like, what do you want to do?

I really took my time to decide like, what is my next step? Um, I didn't rush that process or like Yeah, and that's when I really realized oh wait. I'm i've been coaching since I was in high school This has always been like my side thing So that's when I joined hci health coach institute

Brad Minus: Interesting.

Yeah. So you were using your experience [00:11:00] as a swim coach to move into health coaching.

Nicole Harrington: Yes.

Brad Minus: Interesting. Yeah. So, so what, what, what inspired that? What inspired the idea is okay. So you moved from, you know, a very. Uh, data driven, um, hands on, you know, daily practice to, to these high schoolers, at least in that, and during that season, to, you know, more hands off, more, um, cerebral coaching.

Nicole Harrington: Yeah, well, I do think That is also in a physical sport. Um, you know, if your body and your mind isn't right, then during game day, you're not going to be peak performance. I mean, I'm sure as an endurance coach, you understand that because, um, To [00:12:00] be able to do the endurance, which I was a long, long distance swimmer to, um, you, you know?

Brad Minus: Oh, no, no, no. I, I don't have a, I don't have a certificate in health coaching, but I do some of it with my clients. Um, now the kids I've got to kind of. Slip it in. Yeah, you have to be creative. Yeah, you kind of do it. Uh, clandestine, you just kind of like feed stuff out there and then hopefully that'll get it because if you, if they think that you're lecturing to them, they just shut themselves off.

Um, which is, yeah, what are you going to do? Right. But, um, But yeah, so, so there was nothing. Okay. So there was nothing that kind of, you know, led into that. So, all right. So looking through your body,

Nicole Harrington: I guess, um, the reason I wanted to do physical therapy was because I felt like [00:13:00] there were little signs that you could notice before you got injured or after you got injured, like it didn't have to be a lifelong sentence.

That, that was really. What I, why I want to do physical therapy was because, um, so many people when they get injured, they're like, it's been a decade and you're still like, Oh yeah, I hurt my hip. Like, you know, um, you're still telling that story. So. That very easily transitioned into exactly what I'm also doing with coaching.

It's really the same story.

Brad Minus: Nice. Yeah. Yeah. You, you know, it's the old dad saying, Oh, what's going on with your back? Oh, it's an old football injury. So that's the one thing I love about physical therapists as well, as there's an end to it. Right. Where chiropractors now are like, they want you to be, you know, you, you, you, they fix the problem or they at least curb it or they teach you, [00:14:00] you know, ways to keep yourself balanced and adjusted.

Always. It's always better. Hey, make sure you come see me twice a month. And it becomes a form of therapy itself. So even me, right? Um, when I am, um, When I'm on plan, you know, ready for a race every two weeks, chiropractor the opposite two weeks, licensed massage therapist.

Nicole Harrington: That's great.

Brad Minus: But an injury, I go see a physical therapist for a couple of weeks.

They give me a plan. They sent me, you know, they fixed it. They helped me fix the issue. They give me a plan to maintain, to maintain, and I'm on my merry way. And I think that's the greatest power of a physical therapist. Might not be great for income, but I think it's the greatest power. So I think you're on the right track.

Um, thank you. So looking through your bio. I just noticed that you that it mentions that you had a traumatic event, so I'm going to ask you about to tell us that story.

Nicole Harrington: Yeah, I [00:15:00] don't really like to talk about the actual event just because it's very personal. Maybe in the future. I will, but, um, It just, the traumatic, it just left me where people were telling me like who I am or what I should do.

I just, I was very lost after that. Um, it, it just wasn't aligned with like who I thought I was, if that makes sense. It, it's, um, I, I was depressed. So everyone was like giving me advice and telling me to do things that I didn't want to be doing. And That's where it became an even deeper depression is, um, because I, I think we can, we all go through some kind of trauma in our life, you know, so, um,

[00:16:00] what I'm, when I look back, And what I want to teach from that experience and what I want to learn from that experience is, um, you know, the, the lessons that I learned are that there's a reason for every season, you know, um, that depression is just a warning sign that something is off balance. You know, I was, I was fighting, I just continued fighting with those people who were telling me who I was and what I needed to do and instead I should have just, like, asked myself, like, exactly what I wanted.

Um,

Brad Minus: Hmm. Okay. So you took your, you took the lessons learned from this event and you turned it into, [00:17:00] I mean, a way to help people basically.

Nicole Harrington: Yeah. And it was years that I was really, I was, I closed myself off to the world really. You know, if, if you were in my life during that period, those years, um, you would have thought I was like happy go lucky.

But that's when I was like purposefully learning how to have a B face. Can I say that word like beep face? You know, like I was like learning how to have a a bitch face. Like I was teaching myself how to do that. Like I was, you know, blackout curtains in my room. I was drinking a lot. I was smoking a lot.

You know, I was numbing myself because I was in pain.

Brad Minus: And a lot of people do that. You know, they, they, they move in that [00:18:00] direction. Um, did you, did you know, or did you partake in drinking and some of that stuff in high school?

Nicole Harrington: No, I didn't.

Brad Minus: So you didn't even. Yeah. So this was something you just, you know, like what, what, what introduced you to that, to know that, that, that would actually, you know, At least numb the pain a little bit.

Nicole Harrington: Um, that's a good question. I, I don't think I was aware of what I was doing. Um, and I also like, didn't think I was doing anything wrong. Like, right. Like, because when I was drinking, like I didn't really feel drunk. Like I didn't actually feel like I was drunk, which is really weird. Like, um, now I still drink occasionally.

Um, and I think like I get like a little bit of a buzz and [00:19:00] then it goes away. And then I would just like, keep drinking a lot after that. So I wouldn't get an additional buzz or like. I even surpass, like, I, I just fly past the initial buzz and I'm like, um, you know, blacked out or, um, don't feel drunk. Like, you know, um,

Brad Minus: that's a great takeaway.

So that this for people to think about, you know what I mean? If you're drinking right now and not right now, but if you find yourself that you're drinking a little bit more than usual and you really don't feel like it's a big deal. It probably is a big deal.

Nicole Harrington: Yeah Yeah,

Brad Minus: so that's that's a huge takeaway for some people to like realize that now you got to be honest with yourself You gotta be self actualized enough to to realize that but that was great.

How did you get yourself out of it?

Nicole Harrington: Yeah, I think I did have the intention of stopping like especially smoking, [00:20:00] um And drinking but I I wanted to quit Like there, there was a long period where I was wanting to quit. I just didn't know how, and I was in therapy. Like I was getting help, but I just, it was so easy to get, like I was smoking those little pens.

You just carry that around in your purse, whatever. You have it with you always. It's, it's unfair how easy it is. You know, you can't even smell it. Like, um,

Brad Minus: yeah, because it's vapor. It's just water. Yeah.

Nicole Harrington: Yeah, it's not good. Um, so why I mentioned that is because it becomes a routine. It's a habit. It's, you know, you wake up and you have a cup of coffee is the is very similar process.

Um, Like, you know, I already knew how to, or what [00:21:00] I wanted to buy when I went to the store exactly where it was, like, it would take me five minutes, you know, Oh yeah, I'll just stop. You know, it's, it's about the routine. It's about how we make it easy for us. It's hard to get out of a routine like that. It really is.

So you have to decide for yourself. That's

Brad Minus: yeah. No. And I, and I think that's absolutely a hundred percent correct. You see it all the time, right? Yeah. You're not going to quit unless you want to quit.

Nicole Harrington: Yeah.

Brad Minus: Okay. Um, an addiction, right? If you're addicted, you got to know that you're addicted. And you got to want to not be addicted.

I'm not saying that you're addicted. I'm saying that, but, but it's that same, it's that same point of view.

Nicole Harrington: You don't

Brad Minus: put person to rehab. You're going to waste your money. That person doesn't want to get help.

Nicole Harrington: Yes. Don't

Brad Minus: want to stop, you know, nothing unless they actually want to stop. Um, so, um, God, I had a question for you right on my tip of my tongue.

Um, so, so you wanted to quit. What were the actions that you took?

Nicole Harrington: Yeah. Um, well, I think I [00:22:00] like finally really aligned with a therapist I had. I mean, everyone was really telling me the same thing, you know, they, that's, I like to believe, like, we don't need to be taught. We just need to be reminded and eventually it's going to stick.

So, um, I started just supplementing. Instead of drinking alcohol, I'm drinking bubble water. Instead of, you know, when you first start to, or when you first stop, your whole life is revolved around that. It's a very social sometimes. It's, you know, all of your friends are also drinking a lot. All the events that I was going to involved alcohol.

Like, so when I stopped, it was like, Oh my gosh, I don't even know what to do. Like I can't even I didn't even know like how to have fun like you have to just relearn that

Brad Minus: [00:23:00] Yeah, um and did you stop? Drinking and smoking at the same time, or was it one then the other?

Nicole Harrington: That's a good point. I think, um, I was like drinking more and then I kind of probably switched to smoking more.

Um,

Brad Minus: yeah. So you were using a vape pen. Um, but I know that that that people that actually smoke cigarettes, sometimes it turns out to be that they don't really have the nick, the nicotine addiction that they thought this is the addiction is constant habit of moving, right? Yeah, I feel like they got to do this.

Yeah. Did you feel like you had that same thing when you, when, when you wanted to quit smoking was, it was about, okay, grab it outta your purse and, and hold it and, you know, it's just kind of there and, and then you have a habit, right?

Nicole Harrington: Yes. I, I thought about that, the cigarette idea, like, they [00:24:00] very much need to go outside.

I ha I had this moment where it was like, oh, when you're smoking cigarettes, you have to go outside. You get to take a break, and there's a reason. You're like, Oh, I'm just going to grab a cigarette. And then everyone's like, yeah, okay, cool. Like, I can't just be like, Hey guys, I'm going to go get some alone time.

Cause I'm really overwhelmed in this party. Like I'll be back in five minutes. Um, that's not exactly, you wouldn't say like that, but

Brad Minus: I don't know why you wouldn't, I, I, I'm sorry. Hey, you know what, this is a little bit too much stimulus for me. I'm going to walk outside and get a breather.

Nicole Harrington: Yeah, I like that.

Brad Minus: I don't go to parties anymore. Um, you know, I used to do that. I used to be out and go out at night and, you know, and hit the bars, go with my friends and all that. And then I found endurance sports. And the socializing that we used to do at night is like right after a workout, we go to breakfast and we socialize, then it just flipped, flipped, flipped the script.

Nicole Harrington: [00:25:00] That's great.

Brad Minus: Yeah, it becomes a routine. Yeah, and I didn't realize it, but I didn't hear in Florida because it gets so hot during the day. That you're starting as early as possible, you know, you're getting your workout done as early as possible. Cause it's just, it gets so hot. Um, so, you know, by eight o'clock you've done, you've, you've done a two, three hour workout and now you're with your friends, your training buddies and you're out, you know, at some diner somewhere.

Yeah. Um, and that becomes, that was like the fulfillment of going out at night and, um, and, and going to the bars and stuff. Um,

Nicole Harrington: Yes. I like that point actually is, is the fulfillment. So if, if you are trying to quit or you're, even if you're feeling a void of some sort, like, you know, The love languages, Gary, Gary Chapman, do you know about that book?

It's the five love, love languages.

Brad Minus: Right?

Nicole Harrington: That's one way to [00:26:00] actually look at it is like, what, what is it that you need that you're not getting out of your life and give it to yourself in a healthy way?

Brad Minus: I like it.

Nicole Harrington: Yeah.

Brad Minus: Is that eventually what you, what you did or is that like a hindsight 2020 thing?

Nicole Harrington: No, absolutely.

It's what what I've done. It's I believe how you do one thing is how you do everything. So if you just focus, I learned that through HCI. If you focus on one area that you're most passionate about. So let's mention like food, like how like your eating habits. If I used to crave french fries, so that there's, there's something there.

If you're craving something, it's for a reason. So how can you give that to yourself in a healthier way? Start taking fish oil. Suddenly, I don't crave french fries anymore. If [00:27:00] you crave ice cream. Yeah, there's. All sorts of ways. I actually just printed, I love this sheet from health coach Institute. I still have this.

They gave, where's my camera? They gave this to me like in an intro video. And so it says like, you know, if you're craving sugary foods, it has different foods. You can eat like broccoli, grapes, fruit, beef, cranberries. That's going to give you the same nutrients you really need from the sugary food. But in a healthy way,

Brad Minus: this is a fascinating topic and just kind of like, let's roll into this just a little bit, but then I want to get back to, um, I want to get back to your coaching practice and what you're emphasizing on.

But this is a, this is a fantastic thing. So, um, I, I know a family. Who and this is this is this is fantastic. Um, I know a family who went completely raw. It started with the [00:28:00] mom and she decided I'm going to do this raw diet. Now, this is not for everybody, but the science behind it is pretty amazing. So, we have a lining in our stomach, um, and that lining and I'm sorry, not on our stomach and that gets into the, uh, the intestines.

Um, so that lining in our stomach is there as a defense mechanism to trap toxins. Before they go into the bloodstream, you know, because everything's absorbed, um, into the bloodstream from there. So, the, the lining at, if you are having more toxicity, that lining gets thicker. If you're, if you're, if, the minute that you start to devoid yourself of those toxins, that lining starts to dwindle.

Eating raw. Meaning, you know, complete, you know, no hormones, no GMOs, no, um, no insecticides, no nothing, completely raw, not cooking it, you're not cooking it in oil, which can possibly have some, can [00:29:00] possibly have some contaminants in it, then you'll find that that lining gets even smaller and smaller. The average, Person on the sad diet.

We call it the standard American diet. The sad diet. Um, yeah, possibly gets 30 percent of the nutrition from their food. The other of it because of that, that lining is so thick, it gets caught with the toxins and everything. So they're only getting 30 percent when this family went on raw. And it was completely raw.

They had done, they were starting to get, um, 95 percent of nutrition. Now, let me give you an example of what that looks like.

Nicole Harrington: Wow. You had a

Brad Minus: son who loved to ski and, you know, winter break weekends, he'd be out with his buddies on the hill and they'd be skiing and snowboarding and everything else. Well, every couple hours, his friends had a, we're just starving and they had it cause they're burning calories like crazy.

Um, we're going into, The, the [00:30:00] chalet and they would get burgers and fries and blah, blah, blah, blah. He would go to these, these marathon, these, uh, these marathon ski sessions with an orange. The orange would satisfy him because that line wasn't trapping that nutrition. It would get, he would get 95%, which is what he needed at that point because he

Nicole Harrington: got

Brad Minus: 95 percent of the nutrition from it.

Nicole Harrington: Yeah.

Brad Minus: One more anecdote on that same thing, and this is where you're talking about as far as the cravings go. He broke his leg. The son broke his leg skiing and because he maintained this raw diet. He started craving like crazy almond milk and, and mom made her own. So she said, she basically said that she was, I mean, basically she was buying stock in, in, uh, in almonds because you couldn't, every time that she'd finish a batch, he would have already plowed through it.

[00:31:00] So it turned out that he got his cast off like three weeks early. Because he was craving the calcium from the almond milk and he was getting it all so it immediately went into, you know, helping to fix the bone. So he got his cast off like three weeks early. Nice. Because of that, this is that craving that you're talking about and the way to fulfill it.

But when you crave something, your body literally is craving something that it might be masked as a sweet tooth, might be masked as something salty, um, or something savory, but there's something that your body actually needs. And I think that's right to your point.

Nicole Harrington: Yeah, this sheet actually does say almonds help with calcium.

So that is right on point with what you just said. So it's in the oily fatty foods. If you're craving oily fatty foods, potentially you need calcium, eat some almonds or [00:32:00] cheese, tahini, sesame seeds. Um, this is, I love this topic because it's brought so many ideas up in my head,

Brad Minus: but.

Nicole Harrington: Um, do you like animals?

Brad Minus: Love animals. I have seven.

Nicole Harrington: So you do. I have four. That's you're you're winning. Um,

Brad Minus: it's an addiction. It's an addiction to adopting them. That's my problem. I have that. Is there something on the craving sheet that says, Hey, if you crave cat?

Nicole Harrington: Well, what I thought of was You know how our animals, they, they only have a few ways to communicate with us, right?

Like their ears turning, their whiskers, I even read, which I haven't figured that out yet, but they only have a few ways to actually communicate. And it's the same with our body. So if you're always eating french fries, salty foods, chocolate, that's how it knows to tell you it needs these things [00:33:00] versus the skier you're speaking of.

He's eating all the good things so he knows healthy ways to his body already knows that healthy version of how to get what he needs. Does that make sense? Like, yeah,

Brad Minus: yeah. And, but the, the, the interesting part is it's the lining. It's that thickness lining. So toxicity comes from anything. You know, you out in the, you in the

Nicole Harrington: air, the water,

Brad Minus: you get it from air, you get it from water, you get it from processed foods, you get it from that.

And that, that line just keeps getting thicker and thicker. And the thicker it is, the less nutrition you're getting, less nutrition you're getting, the more you want to eat.

Nicole Harrington: Yes.

Brad Minus: So the problem with that is that what I've, at least when I've been researching is that that toxicity will, the, will alter the feeling of what you need.

That's why it's so imperative that people be [00:34:00] eating whole foods. The more whole foods you eat. And even if so, even you're going to the grocery store, right? Because not all of us can afford to freaking go, go, uh, you know, completely organic. Right? Um, but even if that if you're just eating on the and we call it eating on the outside aisles, right?

Because if you most grocery stores, the outside aisles, right? You start out in the fruit and fruit and vegetables move into, um, bread, not breads. Um, you know, dairy. Then fish, and then it moves over to, you know, milk and then over and then finally over to, um, I don't know where else it is. Um, but most of it is, you know, meat, uh, meat and fish and, and, and the butcher and, you know, and all that stuff, um, is, is usually on the outside aisles.

Um, all the whole foods. So the more, even if you are stick to whole foods, you limit your processed foods, you're going to, you're going to decrease the lining at least a little, a little bit more. [00:35:00] So, Hey, you're completely raw person might be getting 95%. You could get to the point where you're getting 50, 60%, and at least your body's asking for it.

And once you're getting 50, 60%, there's where some of the, and then for those of us that are, you know, for those of us that are looking at weight loss. You know, if you're getting 60 percent of the nutrition from less meat from less food, less calories, lose weight.

Nicole Harrington: Yeah, I do think, like, even the way they grow food these days has changed in the last few generations.

Like, you know, it used to sit on the vine for longer. So there was more nutrition in the food even. Um, so yeah, there's, there's so much on this topic. So that's why it's like, just be nice to yourself. You know, your body is just trying to communicate with you, which is why I [00:36:00] like to think of depression as a positive thing.

It's a warning sign. From our brain, it's saying, Nicole, you got to slow down because if I start being hard on myself, if I start second guessing myself, if I'm putting too much pressure on myself, if I'm feeling too much fear, it's all a sign of depression, I think. And it's a sign, it's a warning sign that check in with your body.

It's all being easy on yourself. It's not easy. Like, um, Yeah,

Brad Minus: that's an interesting takeaway is you're feeling depressed. That means check in with

Nicole Harrington: yourself. Yes,

Brad Minus: check in and, you know, and make sure you have everything and to be nice to yourself. Like you said,

Nicole Harrington: yeah,

Brad Minus: yeah. I've heard a lot of a [00:37:00] lot of experts talk about a link between depression and food.

Nicole Harrington: Yeah,

Brad Minus: nutrition.

Nicole Harrington: Yeah. I mean, I just said how you do. One thing is how you do everything. So I do think everything is related. Um,

Brad Minus: okay, but no, no, no, it's it's interesting. Well, it's it's you know, it's serotonin. It's oxytocin. It's you know, all those are those chemicals which can be altered. By the wrong foods or an abundance of the wrong food.

Nicole Harrington: Well, it can still be a, not listening to what your body needs. The, those chemicals, as much as like, I couldn't name off all of those exactly levels, et cetera.

Right. It still is. My body is still communicating with me in some way. And if I'm not listening to it and [00:38:00] giving it what it needs, then. You're still on the wrong path, you know, you're still depression, like depression will come more, but still, I'm still, I still think depression is a positive thing. So it's still is like listening to what your body needs and, and giving it to yourself.

Okay. Um,

Brad Minus: all right. I like that. I definitely like that. Is that, is that a strong tenant in your coaching practice?

Nicole Harrington: Yes, absolutely.

Brad Minus: Um, so what do you find? You know, out of the clients that you, that you've been coaching, um, have you found a common denominator?

Nicole Harrington: Well, I think it has to do with support. You know, all of these categories really is about supporting what you need. We know we've talked about it with nutrition, with Your mind's like, what are you thinking? [00:39:00] Like, how are you speaking to yourself? This is all about support, supporting your body, making sure your mind and your body are connected.

And, um, so, uh, supporting. When you are more depressed, like, how can you support yourself to take some time off or or give your body what it needs? That's all about support. Um,

Brad Minus: yeah, oh, no, I get that. My clients are the same way. You know what I mean? It's it's I think that positive self talk, positive talk.

And then, you know, I always emphasize recovery. Um, and that's obviously more physical side, but I can tell when some of my clients are starting to break, roll down a wrong path as far as their mental game is

Nicole Harrington: when

Brad Minus: you're, when you're, when you're on mile 21 of a marathon and everything seems to be breaking down [00:40:00] your self talk is what's going to get you to the finish line.

Nicole Harrington: Yeah, love that.

Brad Minus: And if it's not, if it's negative. It's you're either not going to, you're either not going to cross or you're not going to cross feeling as good as you could, you know, and what turned out to be a fantastic experience will not be as fantastic as it could have been. So, I totally agree with that, with the, um, self talk, yeah.

Nicole Harrington: I think, um, I can very much relate depression with that same thing of, like, having a pain at the end of an event. So, I think when we try and pretend like it's not there, We, we try and just like muscle through and, and get through it until the end. It's, um, you're, you're, you're giving yourself evidence that [00:41:00] those things were not good, like, The the evidence is if if you see that pain in your hip, which I have had like during an event or something, um Even on a walk like and I see that as a negative i'm like, oh no Like uh, then I go negative um, see it as a positive thing because If it wasn't there, then potentially you could keep walking, keep doing what you're doing and not recognize it.

You know, if you're trying to finish an event, you know, afterwards, you're going to know to, to protect it afterwards and to baby it a little bit. I always love to baby my injuries. You wouldn't even know to baby it if you weren't feeling that pain.

Brad Minus: Yeah, pain is a signal that something's off.

Nicole Harrington: And so is depression.

Brad Minus: Yeah. Well, and depression [00:42:00] is literally pain, so that all rings back because you were talking about, um, muscling through it and everything else. That goes right back to your, to you talking about the RBF that you had while you were going through depression, RBF. Oh, that's resting bitch face, by the way.

Nicole Harrington: Oh, that would be better.

Yeah.

Brad Minus: Uh, yeah. So you're talking about that. You had that and that was your mask. Um, that was you muscling through.

Nicole Harrington: Yes. Yeah, I definitely agree.

Brad Minus: Right.

Nicole Harrington: Yeah. And that's just, cause I didn't know how to react in the moment. It's, it's about being present. I, I've. Absolutely feel now it's about for me. It was about like, can I react?

Instead of having my rbf like How can I react authentically in this moment and and show a little bit that i'm pissed that this person's being mean instead of just like Trying to show what on my face like,

Brad Minus: right.

Nicole Harrington: [00:43:00] Yeah. It

Brad Minus: doesn't bother me. Yeah. In face, as you saw before you insulted me is after, um, yeah, no, I, I get that.

So you are, you just signed up for like a really, uh, Bridges bridge to bridge race in San Francisco.

Nicole Harrington: That's what they call it. Yeah.

Brad Minus: Yeah. Tell us about that. Oh,

Nicole Harrington: no, wait. No, I don't think it's bridge to bridge. It's, it's swimming under the golden gate bridge. Yeah. Okay. It's not bridge to bridge. Oh, it's the golden gate swim.

That's what it's called. Okay. Yeah.

Brad Minus: So tell us about that. Is this is something that you've been, that you've been wanting to do. You said that, you know, you were excited about it. There's a story behind it. I want to hear about it.

Nicole Harrington: Yeah. I actually didn't want to do this until, let's see, today's, so actually it was last Sunday, today's Sunday, right?

Last Sunday, I went tubing for the first time with some friends down the Russian river and [00:44:00] It was our first time, all of our first time, I went without a tube. And we didn't know what we were doing. We ended up going six miles and it was all, it wasn't moving. So we very much got stuck like in this long period that wasn't moving.

It was deep water. It was pretty scary actually. Um, So we were out there for like five hours, six miles, right? And I could have looked back and been like, I'm never doing that again. Like that was so scary. But instead I'm looking at it like, wow, that was an opportunity to feel confident in my swimming and be like, wow, we got out of that.

We fin it, we found a beach, we handled it. So I'm like, you know what, I'm going to go do a open water swim. Like I'm like, right now I'm feeling confident. [00:45:00] I'm going to choose to. Take that experience and use it in a positive way.

Brad Minus: That's yeah. Now that's amazing. You know, you follow through with those experiences.

Sometimes a negative experience is not so negative and a positive one can come out of it. That's great. I hope you do well. You said, and you said what it's two miles.

Nicole Harrington: It's a, it's just under two miles, I believe. Yeah.

Brad Minus: I mean, that's 3, 200 meters, you know, that's a, that's a lot. So I, I wish you all the luck in the world.

I think that you're going to do, I mean, we know you're going to do great. You've been swimming forever. Um, but is this your first time doing open water?

Nicole Harrington: I did a triathlon, like randomly in Hawaii one. Early twenties . Um, it was a while ago. So yeah, this is my first, I'd say. I mean, that counts, but .

Brad Minus: Oh no, the triathlon definitely counts and definitely it was a while ago.

You talking, I mean, who are you [00:46:00] talking to? You know, I mean, , I'm all about that. , uh, yeah. Ah, Hawaii. That must have been fun though. That must have been a great time.

Nicole Harrington: Yeah, it was fun.

Brad Minus: So,

Nicole Harrington: yeah, I like to think of this as like, how do we look back on our experiences and how are we explaining them? Like, how are you explaining the events that you've been through?

Brad Minus: That would take a long time. Um, for me, um, but yeah, no, I think that's great. So are you, are, um, you are active on socials, right?

Nicole Harrington: Yes, very much.

Brad Minus: Facebook, LinkedIn, uh, Instagram. And do you have a, do you have a YouTube channel?

Nicole Harrington: Yes. And Tik TOK. Yeah, I, I wanted to make it easy. So it's all the same. Nicole coaching G all one [00:47:00] word.

On every platform.

Brad Minus: Great. So I'm going to have to make sure that we link that in the, uh, in the show notes and of course, Nicole coaching, g. com. Um, and she's got a, she's got a little website here and a place for you to go ahead and may, you can book a quick 20 minute call with her. Um, and if, you know, if there's something that she can help you with, as far as your, um, You know, taking the next step in your life, you know, if you're finding that it's, you know, it's hard.

You've been through some things and you just want to take that next step. Nicole is the one that's going to help you out, you know, so, um, she's got a couple of different programs out there and I think that, you know, that she could, she could go out and change your life. And if you go on to Nicole G, uh, Nicole, Coaching g.

com. You'll see some awesome testimonials from some of our clients. So you got to take a look at that. And then as soon as you read those, you're, you're going to want, you're going to want to talk to her. So, [00:48:00] um, so Nicole, thank you. Thank you for joining us. I really appreciate that.

Nicole Harrington: Yeah. Thank you, Brad. This is great.

Brad Minus: All right. Well, listen, everybody, if you get a chance, love for you to, if you're on YouTube, to, to share it, to like it, subscribe, if you want, if you're on Apple, if you're on Spotify or any of those other podcast platforms, if you can do us a favor and write a, write a review and you know what, if you don't like the content, tell me you don't like the content and then give me an idea of what you might like to see.

But my, my, my, I like to see or hear, um, and, uh, if you've got an ideas for us, you know, let us know, um, and feel free. I don't really don't mind whether the review is good or bad because it gives me feedback and how I can make the show better. So I really, I would really appreciate that. So, but for the rest of you, we will see you in the next one.