E156 Cris Duval Embracing Hard Moments
Let’s Be Well Together Podcast - Episode 156
Date: January 21, 2025
Participants: John Webster, Riley Thompson and Cameron Earnshaw
Guest: Cris Duval
Start Times and Segments:
[0:00:16] What’s On Your Mind: Riley got a new wearable fitness tracker. How do they affect us, especially when it comes to fitness and whether we can disconnect?
[0:09:58] Expanding Minds Interview: [Mental Wellness] Cris Duval and her family experienced tragedies and challenging situations. She realized that it’s possible to reframe something that is hard into something that is positive. There’s something positive in every single event that happens, even if you need to slice things very thin. That’s what she looks for – the positive. There is a dramatic positive impact on our brain when we accomplish a hard thing. Resilience includes an ability to bounce back after hard things happen. We should think about our resilience in life, including about challenges that we can give ourselves to increase our ability to do hard things. Growth is important and it happens when you get out of your comfort zone and do something you haven’t done before, or is difficult for you.
[0:28:00] Running Popup: A recent interview about functional medicine led to a new approach to wellness – functional wellness and balance.
[0:30:28] Adventures of the Starving Artist: Cameron is off to a fresh start as 2025 kicks into gear.
Quotes and Take-Aways:
Cris – It’s really important to evaluate how the ability to do hard things is connected to resilience and how that impacts our longevity and how long you live.
Cris – It’s possible to reframe something that is hard into something that is positive. There’s something positive in every single event that happens, even if you need to slice things very thin. That’s what I look for – the positive.
Cris – I know enough about our neuroscience of the brain to know that I had to develop a positive attitude towards doing something hard, because I had to choose between disease and health. I know the damaging and disease producing events that happen when I have toxic thoughts or negative thoughts. I know the benefit of having positive thoughts.
Cris – Bad neurotoxins are released into our body when we have negative thoughts. Dr. Caroline Leaf says that can cause disease. When you can learn how to transform your thinking.
Cris – There is a dramatic positive impact on your brain when you accomplish a hard thing.
Cris – Resilience includes an ability to bounce back after hard things happen. Listeners would do well to ask themselves, “what do I need to do to increase my resilience in life, and what are some challenges that I can give myself that will increase my ability to do hard things?”
Cris – Growth is important. Growth happens when you get out of your comfort zone and do something you haven’t done before, or is difficult for you.
Cris – I asked my family to stop asking, “how are you doing?” after my husband died. That question took me immediately back. I wanted to continue to move forward. I promised him that I would make the rest of my life matter. I said if you want to ask me a question, then please ask me, “tell me about something good in today?” There’s always some good in every single day.
Guest Information: Cris Duval is a Registered Dental Hygienist, patient-health advocate and a wellness coach. She spent more than four decades in patient care. As founder of the LifeGuard Approach, Cris focuses on helping dental and medical teams shift their mindset from repairing the damage to preparing patients for health. She describes herself as an “architect of change” in dentistry’s approach to oral-systemic health. Her ultimate goal is saving lives by both guarding and guiding health and wellness.
Website: www.thelifeguardapproach.com
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Thanks for joining us,
(-(-_(-_-)_-)-) Your wellness check-in team
John, Sammy, Cameron, Sheila, Elise, Isabelle, Noura, Julie and Riley