Imi's Insight Podcast

One of my beautiful friends @kiara.jones joined me in this ep to chat about perspective and taking control of your mindset. We talked about developing a healthy mindset and changing our internal conversation to see the glass as half full. This episodes quote: Your perspective will either become your prison or your passport

This Episode is about 2022 which I have dubbed my butterfly year. I chatted about the metaphor of the butterfly and why I think it is a beautiful way to view your life, the transformation and growth that 2022 brought me and how I used this year to develop the best relationship with myself yet. This episodes quote: You're not just going to wake up one day as a butterfly, you must go through struggle for your wings to grow. Listen now on spotify, sound cloud, google / apple podcasts (link in bio)

This episode I talked about how our experience with pain is influenced by psychological factors and the complexity of the human body/ brain. My own injuries and experiences with pain have allowed me to understand my own experience with anxiety more and I find it incredible how our brains/ bodies work. This episodes quote: Your body can't stand almost anything. It's your mind you have to convince. Links to the videos mentioned: Lorimer Moseley's Ted Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwd-wLdIHjs Mysterious Science of Pain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eakyDiXX6Uc

Reflecting on the toxic behaviours I did during my eating disorder/ when I was struggling with anorexia and sharing why life is SO MUCH BETTER WITH RECOVERY. Breaking these habits and re-training the brain truly leads to a much more enjoyable life. This eps quote: Don't wait for everything to be perfect before you decide to enjoy your life

In this Q&A ep I chatted through a range of questions sent in including my ED recovery journey, getting out of a rut, mental health, positive mindset changes & much more

In this ep I dive into the Minnesota starvation experiment which was conducted in 1944 with the aim of understanding how to refeed a malnourished population after the war but ended up being invaluable in its contribution to understanding the psychological effects of starvation and the psychological impact of eating disorders.

Ep 22 - Body Image - dealing with bad body image, improving your relationship with yourself + positive mindset changes to become your most confident and happy self! In this episode I talked all about mindset and the impact this has on your happiness and relationship with yourself, particularly in relation to body image. I spoke about some of my own struggles as well as the positive changes and great things that have come out of gaining weight and eating disorder recovery to get to my healthiest self both physically and mentally.

This episode is important!! Particular living in a diet culture driven society and especially for anyone living with or recovering from an ED‼️ Working with my eating disorder psychologist, I was confronted with a fear food challenge. It caused me quite a bit of anxiety and in the process of challenging my eating disorder I learnt a lot, came to a lot of realisations and in this episode I shared a lot of this insight. I talked about fear foods and the importance of challenging fear foods to recover, the danger and disordered pattern around restriction of particular foods, the impact the language we use around, my mindset evolution in regard to fear foods & my experience in challenging fear foods. Food is not just fuel and energy (albeit it certainly is) it is also about connection and culture and enjoyment and social connection. I dive into my anxiety when I was confronted with eating foods not deemed ‘healthy' and realisation why it is necessary in order to rewrite neural brain connections and heal my relationship with food and my body.

In this episode I dive into why it is essential to take rest days in order to recover, adapt, repair and restore from training in order to improve! I talked about the supercompensation theory and the biological mechanisms underpinning adaptation and physiological training responses to explain why resting is ESSENTIAL as well as the detrimental effect of skipping rest days. This eps quote: “Remember, muscles are torn in the gym, fed in the kitchen and built in bed.”

In this episode I talk about why you should take yourself on a solo date! I find solo dates empowering, healthy and help me with living in the moment and being present. This episodes quote: You spend 100% of your life/ time with yourself and I think that's a relationship worth investing in.

This is a short solo ep where I chatted about the importance of being present & living in the moment and living the life you truly want after my constant realisation that time is flying by! I spoke about redefining success & failure to make the most of this life! Quote: THIS IS NOTE YOUR PRACTICE LIFE You can now support the podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/imirussell

EP. 17 - I talked to @Alicebleathman_dietitian about all things nutrition, mental health, fad diets & diet myths, the influence of social media, the hardest part about being a dietitian as well as the best, and Alice's approach to her fulfilling and meaningful lifestyle. Alice was a joy to talk to and you can find this episode on spotify, google play, apple podcasts and soundcloud (link in bio & on my story). Alice's quote: The day that you plant the seed isn't the day that you eat the fruit. You can now support the podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/imirussell

It's been a few months since my last episode so todays episode is a bit of a life update but mostly its to have a very important chat about seeking help, particularly when it comes to mental illness and eating disorders. I talked about starting with a treatment team and why I finally started with this team, who it is made up of and why I think this episode was important to make. I wasn't planning on sharing this so soon but normalising support and professional help is important and I want to encourage those who are on the fence to get the help! Whether that is with a sport dietitian or psychologist, its only going to help get to where you truly want to be in life! Its a long ep but some things discussed were: The fear of letting go of your ED or getting professional support The benefits and what is going to happen when you start recovering or take the first steps to recover The dangers and influence of uneducated social media exposure What made me finally start working with a team The up and down journey of struggling with mental health Feeling like you are 'too recovered' or 'not sick enough' to have a team .. (there is no 'sick enough' to get help or support) Recovery both physically and mentally Addressing the common concerns: fear of weight gain/ change if you see a dietitian (trust me a sports dietitian is going to advise you on how to improve your fitness/ sport/ health), for some; fear you might not perform as well if your body changes (again - it will just do BETTER if you are healthy)… Supercompensation theory and how you HAVE to fuel and recover to make training adaptations and improve This eps quote: Stop being afraid of what could go wrong. Start being excited of what could go right.

This ep is a bit of a science based chat about metabolism and the components that make up the amount of energy (or calories) you use. I chat about what metabolism actually is and what determines your metabolic rate as well as the various factors that contribute to the amount of calories or energy your body metabolises or needs including BMR (basal metabolic rate), Physical activity expenditure (NEAT - non exercise activity thermogenesis and EAT - exercise activity thermogenesis) and TEF (thermic effect of food). This eps quote: No one is going to stand up at your funeral and say “she had a small waist and a great thigh gap”

In this ep I had a chat about lockdown life including a life update and my experience recently with a bit of lockdown spiralling, how I am getting back on track + my tips to survive and make the most of lockdown!

I'm so excited to share this episode where I sat down and talked to one of my best friends Ella. From winning her National 400m final in 2018 to dealing with years of major setbacks including diagnosis of illness and injuries, Ella has shown incredible resilience and strength. We talked about all things from athletics, why she loves the 400m, her favourite training sessions, her experience dealing her medical condition and how she has grown as a person from her experience. With plenty of fun memories and funny stories along the way, this episode is one of my favourites!

Ok so this ep was pretty chaotic and low-key represented the chaos in my head but I dove into the topic of body image and the how influential influencers really are. I was sparked to start this ep after some toxic messages asking to show pictures of my body ‘at its best' being when it was unhealthily shredded. I explored how this toxic belief has an incredible influence on mental health and body image and how often our favourite influencers reinforce this societal belief. Of course no one is to blame, but as a society it is up to us to change this ideal image and also to learn to take everything with a grain of salt. Quote of the ep: You have been criticising yourself for years and it hasn't worked. Try loving yourself, accepting yourself and being grateful for what your body can do, and see what happens then.

A deep dive into all your questions you sent on Instagram! From how to stay motivated, my relationship with food, cheat days, HSC study tips, boyfriends to my nails, a lot is covered in this ep!!

This may be the most random podcast ep ever. I thought it would be fun to just have a chat and go on random tangents, sharing some funny stories and memories so here it is! From the rat I had living in my room to my ridiculous year 11 creative writing stories, I hope this ep is enjoyable and makes you laugh!

It's been a hot minute since I last recorded an episode! In this life update I chatted about everything from the last few crazy and insane months, feeling burnt out after it all, being forced to back off during our current lockdown here in Sydney, the highlights and making the most of lockdown plus some fun childhood memories and tangents along the way! I hope you enjoy this lighthearted life catch up! This eps quote: Don't wait for everything to be perfect before you decide to enjoy your life

In this episode I dove into balancing life and my journey so far learning to find balance with everything from studies/ schooling, training commitments, work and social time. Particularly getting into the much asked questions; How do you balance studying and training? How to deal with exam stress? I spoke through my own journey of finding balance through high school, graduating school and throughout uni so far including managing success in studies as well as maintaining a high training load and competing in high level sport and then struggling with anxiety and guilt around taking time off and not always being ‘productive' or studying like crazy. I also talked about learning to deal with exam stress and how I have worked on my own stress and mindset! Over time I've improved and learnt different ways to cope especially with adult life and working. Since recording this, the past 4 months have been intense, adding working crazy hours into the mix and this is something I have had to just find a way to balance and cope with too (and I'm still working on!!) so an update is needed soon but I am definitely keen to get recording again and getting back onto the topic of balance again. Balance in life is essential and something I am definitely not good at whatsoever but the more I work on it and practice it, the more I can appreciate its value. This Episodes quote: Worry has never done anyone any good, for it substantially curtails the joy and fullness of life.

This episode is super raw. I talked about my personal experience with body image and an eating disorder. I also talked about why it is so common in todays society and why growing up on social media has been a significant contributor the rise of mental illness today. And of course why gaining weight and getting healthy will be AMAZING! Things covered in this ep: Comparison in todays society (2021) - the significant impact of comparison and its negative influence. Body image and mental health (My experience ...) The impact of your environment and who you surround yourself with A biiiiig chat about lots of things I use to help me deal with the challenge of recovering and gaining weight AND about lotssss of the benefits that come with it! Things i remind myself. Quote: Great things never came from comfort zones

In this second episode with Tamsyn we talked all about dealing with injury including coping with the mental side of injury, Tamsyn's own experience with injury and how she managed to stay mostly healthy over her 20 year career including 3 Olympic Games and multiple world championships. Find out the specific type of training that got Tamsyn super strong and fast, the crazy reason why she avoided weight training, advice on coping with needing time off and what Tamsyn learned through her setbacks. This episodes quote: The one who falls and gets up is so much stronger than the one who didn't fall.

EP #5 TAMSYN LEWIS MANOU! Tamsyn is a 3 x OLYMPIAN, 18 x NATIONAL CHAMPION and just a great down to earth Aussie. From her greatest achievement, only regret, and her strong mindset, I hope you enjoy this episode and find it as insightful as I did! Here some of the interesting stuff we talked about and some of Tamsyn's beautiful words from the podcast: The reason why she chose to become an 800m runner after huge success in the sprints at a young age (winning national 100m/ 200m titles and a 52.9 400m at 15) Her favourite thing about her sport & her hardest training sessions The challenges of being a female at the highest level in sport The importance of putting your health first 'if your willing to put that effort into the training you need to be willing to put the effort into your health' Body image in track and field 'we make the mistake of thinking that elite results will come if we look like an elite' How fast she ran ‘anyone who has said to me a 400m is harder than an 800m has never run the first lap of an 800 properly' It was so amazing talking to Tamsyn who is a wonderful athlete, women and role model. Find out the biggest lesson her sport taught her, her biggest advice for young athletes and so much more on my newest ep, LIVE NOW!!!

Welcome to the first educational style ep which features some nutrition and exercise science based info! We've all probably heard the term calories and macros but what actually is a calorie? How do we measure them and how do we count how many we have burned or expended? In this episode I dive into these questions and so much more! Here is some of what we will talk about: the different macronutrients & why they are all essential: carbs, fats, proteins why keto is probably not a healthy diet for you why cardio burns more calories than 'weights' how do we measure calories in foods and how do we measure how many we have burned why your smartwatches active calories is inaccurate I have included a trigger warning in this episode, if you are upset by or triggered by talking about calories please skip over this one! I will add though, it is for educational purposes and for interest, I do explain and reiterate that food is fuel and that energy is essential to consume!! I do not promote or condone low calorie or starvation diets, FOOD IS FUEL! This episodes quote: Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

The first episode where I dive into dealing with injuries in sport and the mental challenges of being injured. I talk about my experience with injury, the importance of your attitude and mindset around injury and dealing with the mental trauma of going through a major injury. I also talked about learning to cross train as well as the personal growth that can come out of big setbacks.

This is the first “running hungry' episode where I talk about my own experience with an eating disorder and dive into the physiological implications that low energy availability has on your health from an exercise science background. I talked about the dangers of being ‘too lean' and why this is not healthy as well as the impact social media has on our mental health. I chat about my own mental health experiences over the past few years as well as how I started running and found the love for my sport. I explained information I gathered for an essay I wrote which I called ‘Amenorrhea as a metabolic injury in female athletes' to explain why having no period is a big concern as well as so much more!!! Basically a full hour of some juicy chats! I hope you enjoy this episode and find it educational and inspiring, I want it to encourage you to honour your body and love your body at its healthiest, encourage the development of a healthy relationship with yourself and your body, where nourishing and fuelling yourself is priority. There is so much more to talk about on this topic so this is just the first of many episodes like this. Just a trigger warning to anyone who may be upset by these topics, please skip over these podcasts if they may be triggering for yourself. Sorry for the unstructured podcast schedule and the gap between my first 2 episodes! I am flat out with editing vlogs and podcast episodes between my own work, training and life but I try to spend every bit of free time I have creating content! I hope you enjoy it and thank you so much for the support :)

Welcome to my very first episode! In this episode I dive into the power of psychology and how big the impact of our mindset & thinking is on our lives and ourselves, especially in terms of sport and the limit we push ourselves to. Physically we are capable of pushing harder in training, (and we're so much more capable than we think!)our brain is our biggest barrier! I talk about the impact the content we consume & social connections we make have on who we are (and thus the dangers of uneducated influencers), share some interesting facts about fatigue from an exercise science perspective including the difference between central and peripheral fatigue (and explain how it is our mind/brain that limits our physical performance) and much more!

This is the intro episode to my podcast 'Imi's Insight' where I talk about what to expect in the episodes to come! From health, fitness, sport, lifestyle, society, life lessons, growing up with social media, mental health and psychology to some fun and light hearted chats there will be lots to unpack and chat about!