Living Well with Janet
Learn more about “Living Well with Janet”
Hi, it’s Janet! I’m a yogi, meditator, plant-forward eater, and all-around wellness enthusiast who is constantly exploring what it means to “live well”. I’m also a 2nd generation Asian American woman, an experimenter, and a deep thinker. Join me in my conversations and contemplations on the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, and environmental aspects of living well.
All Episodes
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Birthdays are an interesting time to reflect and evaluate, and honestly, it’s been one of the harder years of my life. It was the perfect storm - a cataclysm of many things being upheaved, in transition, unsettled, or in flux. Moreover, I turned 39 this year. It’s the year before I enter a new decade - pretty much midlife - and when we are at this stage of life, there are a lot of life milestones that we are confronted with. In some ways, my life does not look how I thought it would at 39. And having to face that reality while still being kind to myself and willing the confidence and fervor that’s required to make change and keep going has been pretty exhausting. But I want to take this episode as an opportunity to share some of the things I’ve learned over the course of my 39 years, and especially this past year. If you are like me, in your late 30s and on the brink of entering your 40s, maybe some of this will resonate. Or, if you’re younger - in your early 30s or 20s - perhaps some of these learnings can be of benefit or inspiration for you.
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Did you know that botox can be a treatment for teeth grinding? Or that your oral health needs may change during pregnancy? Ever heard of minimally invasive veneers? Curious about teeth whitening best practices? I chat with @joycethedentist about all of this and more.
Dr. Joyce Kahng is a cosmetic & restorative dentist and the owner of Orange + Magnolia Dental Studio in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, CA. She’s been featured on Vogue, Allure, Glamour and is a forbesnext1000. On her various social platforms, Dr. Joyce shares tons of amazing and helpful information on oral health because, as she says, “maintaining good oral health is a crucial part of your overall wellness.”
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If you've ever felt that you needed to turn your life around, Charles Chen is someone you must know about. He is a yoga teacher, holistic chef, and the creator of 888 Process - a wellness community and collective that promotes transformation as a collective experience. He shares his message about the transformative power of holistic health and wellness on his various social platforms, posting content and stoking conversations around yoga, meditation, mindfulness, nutrition, and so much more. Charles has been featured on huffpost, NBC, ABG, TLC, Dr. Oz Show, Food Network, Netflix,The Discovery Channel, Whole Foods - you name it, and he’s probably been covered there.
In this episode, we talk about the personal challenges that lead him to transform his own life and help others do the same, his current wellness practices, and tips for anyone who is at a standstill in their wellness journey. Prepare to be inspired by Charles and all of his positive vibes! You can find him at @charleschentv, charleschen.tv, and @888_process.
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From nutrition and morning rituals to beauty and fashion, I share my current summer wellness practices. Let me know which of these practices you also do, are interested in trying, or other wellness practices you're currently into!
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I’ve spoken often and at length about my love for yoga. In this episode I talk about how I got into yoga, why I love it so much, details about my current practice, and tips for anyone who wants to get into yoga (especially in the LA area).
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Middle age is usually defined as age 40-60. Some say it begins as early as our mid-30s. I am at the beginning of that period - this year I turn 39 and I’m on the precipice of my 4th decade. As I contend with midlife and all it means in relation to my health, my relationships, and my purpose in life - I’ve been referencing how others have navigated this period before me.
Mimi is a midlife pro-age motivator who created Hey Middle Age to change how we feel about aging and to counter ageist stereotypes. On her platforms, Mimi explores both the comfortable and uncomfortable aspects of mid-life. Listen in as we chat about lessons she's learned as someone who has navigated mid-life with incredible joy, celebration, and zest!
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I’ve been feeling really sensitive lately and got curious about this quality. I went down a rabbit hole of research, and it turns out that there is such a thing as highly sensitive people, or HSPs. In this episode, I talk about examples of sensitivity, explore a framework from psychologist Elaine Aron, and share ways I manage sensitivity. And yes, there is a test you can take to gauge whether you are a highly sensitive person and I share my results in the episode. Whether you’ve recently experienced a significant life event(s) that warrants sensitivity, or you’re just a human trying to life in an increasingly hostile world - the state of political, social, environmental affairs and overstimulation from an exponentially fast-paced lifestyle due to technological advancement is causing overall stress and fatigue for everyone - I hope this episode serves as some form of validation, information, and comfort.
If you’re curious about whether you’re a highly sensitive person, you can take the test here: highly sensitive person test
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I am a big believer that food is medicine. Growing up in a Chinese household, my mother often told me (and still tells me) to eat certain foods based on Eastern philosophies of health. Once I went to college, I was more exposed to Western ways of thinking about healthy eating, which sometimes conflicted with what I was taught growing up. Through the years, I’ve experimented with vegetarian and vegan diets and now practice a pescetarian/Mediterranean way of eating - which I have found is the most accommodating for Western ideals of health while still being able to share meals with my Chinese family. In this episode, I chat with Zoey Gong, a NY and Shanghai-based registered dietician, nutrition consultant, chef, and Chinese Medicine food therapist, who shares her own experience with American versus Chinese ways of eating and how she's seen it impact her physical and mental health. If you want to learn how to improve your nutrition for healthier living and crave a perspective that incorporates both Eastern and Western ways of thinking, listen in as we chat about fad diets, good food habits, and what she's learned from the older women in her life about maintaining good health and longevity.
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I really love minimal living. Whether it’s from moving around and traveling a lot in my adult years sampling life in different cities, a desire to leave less of a negative footprint on the planet, a real resonance with the Marie Condo mindset, or a combination of all of the above - the less stuff, the better, and the more minimal and efficient the design, the more I’m drawn to it. That’s why I was so impressed when I saw Sung Yoo’s interview on CNBC about her essentialist approach to life. Sung is a designer and entrepreneur who, in 2022 after living in NY for 18 years, moved to Santa Monica into a 140 sq ft home. Listen in on our conversation about how some major life events (including a breakup and the death of a parent) lead her to her current practices of minimal living and essentialism.
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In a previous episode, I talked about the importance of play and how I have been trying to incorporate more of it into my life. *Spoiler alert* In that episode (In My Play Era, I Took a Heels Class) I talked about how scheduling a playful activity like a dance class actually wasn’t the best way to get into a state of play. In this episode I share a moment when I unexpectedly, and without planning, found myself in a state of play. How and doing what? You’ll have to listen to find out :)
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In this episode, I chat with Alexis Fernandez, the host of Do You F*cking Mind, a podcast that uses brain health and neuroscience as a jumping board to teach listeners how to improve their self-perception and view of the world through physical and mental alignment. We talk about how breakups can be a catalyst for big positive life changes, managing anxiety and burnout, a lot of tips around sleep hygiene, how nutrition can impact mental health, understanding overthinking, social relationships, and more. You won't want to miss this one!
Do You F*cking Mind is neuroscience, psychology, and tough love in podcast form. Do You F*cking Mind?, @alexispredez, @dyfmpodcast, dyfmpod.com
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How many people should you date at one time? What’s the best way to ask someone about their past relationships? Listen in on my conversation with Elite Matchmaker, Cassindy Chao to find out! We also talk about having accountability partners when you’re dating, cultural differences in interracial relationships, and why someone should consider using a matchmaker. If you haven’t already, check out the first part of our convo Living Well with Janet: Dating Tips with Elite Matchmaker, Cassindy Chao
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On a recent episode of ABG, I shared that I had a conversation with a matchmaker who offered me the tip to practice flirting more in 2024. Given we are about a week away from Valentine’s day, I’ve invited her to the pod for an extensive chat about dating. We talk about what makes two people compatible, common hang-ups that I (and probably other Asian American people) struggle with in dating, managing shifting gender role expectations, romancing versus womanizing, how a man’s relationship with his mother can impact his relationship with you and how to manage boundaries from both the child and parent perspective.
Cassindy Chao is a matchmaker who comes from a family of Matchmakers. She is a former Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Equities research analyst and happily married Mother of 3 but caught the matchmaking bug in college - matching dozens of couples at the “Wellesley College Asian Association Blind Date Semi-Formal”. She believes in deep, purposeful connections based on shared values and common goals.
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Play is the act of doing something purely for enjoyment. More often than not, we prioritize the practical. Our adult lives are filled with responsibilities to people at work, to our partners, to kids, parents, extended family, etc. And when it comes to ourselves, there is no shortage of tasks, activities, and engagements that we stack onto our to-do lists for personal and professional development. But play, the act of doing something purely for enjoyment, is so beneficial - essential even - to a well-lived life. This year, I'm on a mission to play more. In this episode, I share that I take a heels class. Listen in as I share my experience - why I chose this as my activity of play, what I learned, and tips for anyone who is also interested in taking a heels class.
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It's the last episode of 2023! In celebration of making it through one full year of continuous episodes, I'm answering some questions from listeners who submitted to my callout on @janetdoubleu (thank you!). How do I get back on track when I fall off of a healthy habit? What do I emphasize in my dental health? How do I calm myself before sleep? Do I stalk my ex on social media? I talk about all of these things and more.
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When a loss happens (a death, a job, a breakup, whatever) some people experience emotions right away. For me, I usually cry a bit but then soldier on and attend to the To Dos. Only when things calm down do the feelings come. So when I went through a pretty big breakup back in August, while I cried when it initially happened, I became focused on the logistics of moving out, finding a new living situation, and taking care of my car incident (check out Living Well with Janet: How to Keep a Positive Mindset When Everything Feels Like it’s Going to 💩 for the bitter tea ). Now, months and months later, I've had more time to process and really think about and feel all the things this past relationship and breakup meant for me. So I want to share a story of how I found myself bawling, alone in my car on the traffic-lined streets of LA, to a Taylor Swift song blasting in the background. What about you? Are you someone who feels grief immediately or does it take time to hit you?
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What is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and who can benefit from it? Is trauma limited to single-event experiences? How does Gen Z approach mental health versus previous generations?
To help me answer these questions is Dr. Monica Band, an award-winning practicing mental health therapist and educator, specializing in providing trauma-informed care for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), with an emphasis on Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) and LGBTQIA+ communities. She is also the host of a new podcast called I Need to Ask You Something from Lemonada Media and the Jed Foundation, a timely series featuring stories about mental health, told directly from teens across the country.
No matter your circumstance, I believe almost everyone can benefit from better understanding the role that trauma plays in one’s well-being and learn about methods for better coping in today’s chaotic world.
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Just because you’re alone, doesn’t mean you have to be lonely. Listen in as I share my thoughts on loneliness and how I've been living my life so that I can be alone without being lonely. Leave a in the comments if you enjoyed this episode! I'm also curious if you have tips for combatting loneliness - leave 'em in the comments so we can all get ideas :D
Also, let me know what other subjects you're interested in hearing about - living well is such a broad topic and I'm always looking for new things to look into or test out and share.
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Have you ever experienced a situation that seemed catastrophic in the moment, like when you think back to it as a memory, you feel it in your body - whether it was wide-eyed panic, stomach sinking disbelief, or rising anger fuming through your nose and exiting your mouth in expletives? In this episode, I share how I discovered that my car was stolen, the surprisingly calm reaction I had, and how I was able to achieve this mindset. I also share some thoughts on The Tale of Two Wolves.
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'Healing girl summer' is the concept of taking a season to focus on tending to yourself, for yourself. It’s all about taking both the time and the space to prioritize your relationship with yourself over anyone else - to introspect, reflect, care for, inspire, and learn how to love yourself before you can love anyone else. In this episode, I share how I relate to this concept in my life right now and a handful of specific 'healing girl summer' practices that I’m doing. Which one do you plan to try? Or what's something else you're doing to heal and feel inspired?
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On today’s episode, I talk about different tools for achieving and maintaining wellness. Many of us have probably heard of talk therapy, but what about hypnotherapy? And we all probably know that Yoga is a great tool for living well, but what about Ayurveda? To help us dig deeper into these topics, I invited Neelu Kaur to the pod - she is a Certified NLP (NeuroLinguistic Programming) coach, certified Yoga Instructor, Ayurveda Specialist, and trained Ericksonian Hypnotherapist. Neelu focuses on bringing mindfulness and stress management practices to both individuals as well as organizations and many of her clients are AAPI and/or women in the workplace. Listen in as she shares a wonderful overview, as well as specific tips, on how to live well.
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It’s been a pretty big year for me for a number of reasons, but an even bigger year for a few of my loved ones. As someone who is fairly introverted and generally shies away from hosting events and celebrations, I’ve had to step into my discomfort a couple of times this year. In this episode, I share how I hosted three major social events as someone who isn't the hosting type - my partner's birthday, a best friend's bachelorette, and my dad's retirement party. If you're also an introvert and/or not the hosting type, I hope this episode provides you with some helpful tips!
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When Lulu Ge went off birth control, she started experiencing intense health struggles. After an extensive journey, she finally found something that worked when she reconnected with her culture's practices of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). She then created Elix Healing - a treatment for menstrual pain that uses Chinese medicine wisdom and modern medicine approaches. What is TCM's take on cycle syncing? When is the best time to schedule a first date during your menstrual cycle? Listen in to find out!
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June is Infertility Awareness Month. Around this time last year, I was just beginning my egg-freezing journey. How did I prepare for the experience? Did I take supplements? How did I exercise? Who was my support system? In this episode, I offer a high-level checklist of the key ways that I prepared myself for this significant endeavor. If you're interested in my full story with extensive details, check out: Ep 183: Janet’s Egg Freezing Journey - Giving Yourself Time to Start a Family and Ep 208: Checking In with Janet 6 Months Post-Egg Retrieval on the main AsianBossGirl show.
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This episode is not about trying to convince anyone to meditate, if they aren’t somewhat interested already. I think most people I’ve spoken to don’t need to be sold on meditation and would like to start meditating, but the common hang-ups I hear are: "How do you meditate? Like what is going on when your eyes are closed? What am I supposed to be doing?" and "I've tried meditating before - I've downloaded apps, watched videos, or attended a short session - but I always fall off the habit. How do I develop a meditation practice or ritual?
