Fuel Your CEO Brain: Nutrition Tips for Women Entrepreneurs with Dietitian Lindsay Martens | #229

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Ready to start (or scale) your business, but want to do it without running on caffeine and chaos? In this episode 229 of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell sits down with registered dietitian Lindsay Martens to talk about how to fuel your CEO brain, create sustainable healthy habits, and protect your energy while you build your second act.

Lindsay shares why your brain needs consistent fuel (hello, focus and creativity), how to stop the mid-afternoon crash that turns into “why am I like this?” spirals, and how to ditch all-or-nothing wellness rules. If you’re a busy woman juggling work, kids, and a business dream, this conversation will help you build a health routine that’s actually realistic and “good enough” to stick.

Key Takeaways:

• Your brain is your #1 business asset—fueling it supports focus, creativity, decision-making, and emotional regulation.
• Sustainable health starts with basic needs first (food, sleep, hydration)
• “Done is better than perfect” applies to wellness too: desk lunch counts if it helps you stay consistent.
• A quick self-check that helps you reconnect with hunger, thirst, and stress signals.
• You don’t need to change your body to start your second act—care for your body for the life you want now.
• Simple, repeatable meals that can prevent energy crashes and keep you steady through busy days.

*Get the full show notes here!

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Transcript

Second Act Success Podcast

Season 1 - Fuel Your CEO Brain: Nutrition Tips for Women Entrepreneurs with Dietitian Lindsay Martens | #229

Episode - #229

Host: Shannon Russell

Guest: Lindsay Martens

Transcription (*created by Descript and may not be perfectly accurate)

​[00:00:00] 

Shannon Russell: Hey there. Welcome to the second Act Success podcast. I'm your host Shannon Russell. , today we're talking about how to fuel your CEO brain. Joining me is registered dietician Lindsay Martens.

 Lindsay is here to talk about how we can start a second act, scale our businesses and do it while also thinking about how to make sure that we are healthy in the process.

Shannon Russell: It is time to learn some health tips and take some new habits with us into 2026.

Let's get to it.

Lindsay Martens, welcome to Second Act 

Lindsay Martens: Success. Thanks so much for having me, Shannon. I'm excited to be here. 

Shannon Russell: Me too. I'm really excited. You've got a great career story, an amazing business, and a lot of information for us because you, as a registered dietician can really talk to women who are thinking about a second act and who are trying to restart their lives and careers, especially in midlife.

And so we're gonna dive into all of that, but let's take it to the [00:01:00] beginning. Where did your career begin? 

Lindsay Martens: Yeah, I love this question so much. So I actually, , have a biochem degree. So I went to school for that 'cause I originally wanted to be a doctor. And then in one of my classes somebody kind of came in who was a doctor and said, if you wanna do this, that's pretty much all you're doing.

And I was like, well, I think I want more in life and I wanna be able to spend time with the clients and really get into like their whole life picture. So then I decided to become a dietician that's a really competitive field as well. And so got an internship, all that fun stuff. And then I, was working in a lot of different spaces, so I feel like I have a really.

Neat experience where I've worked with like dialysis patients, long-term care outpatients, rural city, all of it. So I've seen a lot of different things. And then I had twins. I was surprised. Twins, what a blessing. I decided right not to go back to work and kind of started my version of a second act there where I became a private practice dietician.

And it's so funny, and we'll get into this, I think of it [00:02:00] later, but I actually. Thought about waiting to start my second act because I thought I didn't look the part of a dietician. And so I think this is something a lot of your listeners might also relate to, where they feel like they have to maybe change their body first to change their life.

Shannon Russell: Mm-hmm. 

Lindsay Martens: Uh, and so I think we can dive into that a bit later, but I just wanted to share that part because that is something that actually went through my brain as well before becoming a private practice dietician. But so now, yeah, now I love what I do though. I help busy women quiet the food noise, that kind of mental chatter about what or how you should be eating that lives there constantly.

And instead we build sustainable habits rooted in self-trust, nourishment and joy. 

Speaker: love that. I love that you have the practical, , inpatient kind of working at different facilities but now you're taking everything that you learned and what you,

experience in your own life to help other women and, , and going into this business, to finally taking that leap creating your own [00:03:00] business. How did you know who you wanted to serve? You know who you wanted as your ideal client. 

Lindsay Martens: That has actually evolved quite a bit, uh, which I think is pretty normal.

At first I, I really wasn't a hundred percent sure, honestly. I started, I was like, I'll just be, I'll just be a private practice dietician and I'll throw it out there and people will come and it's gonna be great, and they're gonna tell me basically who I should be serving is kind of the way I viewed it.

Originally my business was actually called Proactive Health Nutrition and I carry that with me now in different forms. But because a lot of healthcare that is, , offered is reactive. 

so I wanted to offer a, an alternative, , to people who were looking for something a little bit earlier before they were given a diagnosis or given some sort of news of some sort, , to kind of look at their health in a different way.

So. That's what it was originally called. Funnily enough, I thought that I had to do what kind of all the private practice [00:04:00] dieticians kind of do at that time was like meal plans or , tell you what you need to be eating and those kind of ideas. I already knew from being working with outpatients and that that didn't super last really well and wasn't actually addressing.

Real life situations and issues. So I did it for a while, but then I realized this isn't helping you and it's not helping me. So as I kind of unpacked more about who I really wanted to help, as I worked with more people and explored that more, that's how I unpacked all of that. 

 And now you focus mainly with Lindsay Martin's Nutrition.

Shannon Russell: That's the name of your business now? Yes. You work mostly with women or is it exclusively with women? 

Lindsay Martens: It's mostly women, I would say. I do have a bit of a one-on-one on the side that sometimes some men come through because men also struggle with, , this kind of stuff sometimes where they've been trying to build habits and they just can't seem to.

Get that going or they don't know. And a lot of that can come from low self-esteem or low, like low, trying to do too much, [00:05:00] raising the bar too high for that habit instead of actually starting with the foundations of that habit. So there's definitely a men who would come to me as well for that kind of stuff.

But mostly I would say like 99% women is who I. Focus on. Yeah. 

Speaker: Working with other women? Do you feel like a lot of times they come and work with you because they can relate to you and they just feel like you get it and you're not going to be judgy? Yes. There's a lot of women in this space that are intimidating, especially when you see their tiktoks and their reels and you're, you know, I can instantly know I would not wanna work with that person because I don't relate, or they just seem like.

They just have it all together and I don't, you just are very approachable, your girl next door. And I can see a lot of women being attracted to that aspect of you. 

Lindsay Martens: Oh, well thank you so much. So I, I work really hard as a Yeah. So because I'm a, as a dietician, you're very much trained to be so professional and kind of clinical.

And so I work really hard at being like, actually let's make [00:06:00] this an approachable space where we are a team. Because I very much believe that in having done work in a lot of different places and having been, I've been in private practice now since 2018, so that's what, like seven years. It's evolved, like I said, and it's become more and more a part of my life.

Lindsay Martens: Blending that level of, Hey, I do know what I'm talking about.

And I get you. I see you. I am like, I lived this. We can all relate to that. And I wanna be relatable as well because that's, there's a lot, there's a lot of shame and control in the health messaging and wellness messaging of this world, and I really, really wanna offer something a little bit more integrative to your whole life and that alternative again, too.

Feeling bad about yourself because you're not living up to the hype. We don't need to do that. 

Shannon Russell: No, 

and there's so much like we just have to talk about like the big elephant in the room of so many fads. I don't wanna call them fads, but you know, like, oh, take. Octavia and lose the weight or do this diet and lose the weight or [00:07:00] GLP ones.

And there's just all these things that are like those quick fixes where it sounds to me like what you offer is really this whole approach of how to really change and make different, , updates in your life that will last a little bit longer than this so-called fad. 

Lindsay Martens: Yeah. No, exactly. So I, uh, again, like a lot of that comes from wanting to control or shame your body, right? A lot of that comes from that lens, which is part of the culture we live in, right? Yeah. This is not any one individual thing. This is part of the culture and a lot of the way health has been shared with individuals, is in a way to say, Hey, you need to control this.

We live in a very fat phobic culture as well. I'll throw that out there in addition. So yeah, I saw something the other day that was so interesting from another dietician and she was sharing how, 'cause there's this really big trend about microdosing GLP ones right now.

And so she was saying how that's kind of similar to taking diet pills in the seventies [00:08:00] 

Shannon Russell: and 

 nowadays we wouldn't, we would not take a diet pill from the seventies. So in like 30, 40 years, it'll be really interesting to see what happens and how we look back on this microdosing of GLP one trend that is occurring.

Lindsay Martens: But again, that comes from control. So what I do is I offer a way for you to look at it from a place of care. 

Shannon Russell: Yeah. 

Lindsay Martens: And so that's really the big thing that I like to change the way we're we're viewing this. And so same with like. When we were talking about earlier, , there's this lens that we need to change our bodies before we jump into our second act or before we do these things.

Actually, you don't need to change your body to change your life. , That's made up. That's not true. But caring for your body, for the life that you want, that is actually very powerful. 

Shannon Russell: Mm. 

Lindsay Martens: And so that shift in how we look at it can make all the difference. 

Speaker: Yeah. That's so powerful.

 , Okay, so let's dive into that then. How do you care for your body? Like you're sitting here, as many of my [00:09:00] listeners are. Okay, I want to change, , 2026 is, is right here. Yeah. And what do I do to change my life when it's already crazy? I'm already juggling so much.

Speaker: I'm in a job that I don't like. I need to start this business. I want to go out on my own. How do I make sure that I can stay healthy and do it all when I know I'm about to embark on a different kind of stress? 

Lindsay Martens: I love that question. So a lot of the times people forget that their brain is actually like their number one asset and your brain needs a lot of energy.

So it needs a lot. It's about 20, I think, to 25% of your total energy intake is what your brain uses. Like just your brain. 

and about 120 grams of carbohydrates. So that's what it wants, that's what it prefers. And your brain is what drives all of that creativity. The. The, steadiness, the uh, energy, the focus, all of that is, comes from feeding and fueling your brain, right?

So there's that aspect. And then there's also, you [00:10:00] mentioned the aspect of kind of almost capacity, right? Mm-hmm. And so capacity is something I talk about a lot because. You know, the message, you know, we all have the same 24 hours in a day, and that is just frankly not true either. That's not true. We don't.

We don't. And so I like to explore that with people and I think you can explore that for yourself as well. I use a framework called ease, so that first E is explore and then we wanna align what we want with what we're doing. So we're not doing something that, , Shannon down the block, let's use your name because it's easy.

Down the block is, is doing. We wanna do something that's actually aligned with what we want and what works with our lives. And then building that support in is for the S. And then E is how we feel empowered. So our brain loves a reward. It really enjoys that. And so we wanna make sure we're giving it that.

So it keeps wanting that feedback. 

Shannon Russell: You're right, it's not what my best friend is doing or the person down the street, it's really okay, what's gonna fit into my life? And [00:11:00] everyone's lives are so different. You and I are not at offices, we work from home. Yeah. And we're working during these hours that our kids are in school and then we're in mom mode, and then we're stressed about what we need to do in our businesses.

And then it just. Happens the next day and the next day, and it's different than going out to the office and socializing and talking with people and going to lunch I have problems even getting lunch into my schedule because I'm so limited in the hours that I have before school pickup that I am guilty of skipping lunch often, which I know is a no-no, but it's sometimes hard when we're just trying to do it all, and I love that you have this system where you can teach someone okay, this is something that can really.

Help you fuel your brain and be more productive in what you need to during the hours that you have available. 

Lindsay Martens: I am a big proponent of like what we say and the way we say things matter. So I'm gonna, we're gonna rewind a little bit on what you said, if that's okay.

Okay. So I'm gonna [00:12:00] put you on the spot. I know. Sorry. Please, please. So you said not eating lunch is a no-no. And so I think that's a really interesting perspective because you're immediately putting that shame on yourself. Yeah. That, why can't I do this thing? There must be something wrong with me. And so I think there's some power in, in.

And changing that up a little bit and being like, you know what? Lunch right now is not a priority for me. Sitting down or taking time away from my desk to eat is not a priority. Mm-hmm. But I know I need to fuel my brain, so how do I do that in a way that meets my day that I can still get some nutrition in and I can still power my brain, but it's doesn't make me feel like I am taking away from my day or that kind of idea.

Speaker: Ooh, that reshapes everything, because you're right. That's exactly 

Lindsay Martens: that shift. Yeah. Yes. 

Speaker: Right, because you're not like, why should you be proactive and really working hard in one area and then feeling bad about yourself in another? Because there should be that balance. Because we're balancing so much, we need to balance how we talk to ourselves.

Lindsay Martens: [00:13:00] Yes. And , when you shift how you look at it, instead of being like, oh, I really should be eating lunch, or, I know I need to, or I know I need to be doing this thing, instead of saying , those things for ourself 'cause those to keep us stuck. Yeah. More often than not. Same with when we're trying to rebuild our lives or trying to do something different.

If we go into those shoulds and now you really need to. Yeah. It, it shifts things. And so when we take that from that, I call it compassionate curiosity, I think that is the actual name for it, is compassionate curiosity. And so you take that lens to it and be like, actually my life is very full during the day.

I, I know I would like to eat. Even saying I would like to is so different. Mm-hmm. Um, how could I fit that into my already very busy life where I don't feel like, yeah, I'm half, I have to step away or something like 

Speaker: that. it goes back to the woman mom guilt that we just carry about every aspect of our lives.

Yeah. And sometimes we carry that into our business and so we feel guilty that we're doing this or guilty that we're not. So reframing it to, I would like to, but I. I'm not able to right now, so let me do this instead. And yeah, I can see that. Yeah. That's [00:14:00] just all exercises that you probably work on with your clients to really Exactly.

Reframe that. What would you say is the biggest, problem that maybe women who come to you have, especially if they are running businesses of their own or they know they need to be healthy? What is that correlation, in them wanting to be healthy to be successful in their business?

Lindsay Martens: Yeah. I think a lot of people forget. I'm gonna say like, that's kind of a weird thing to say. A lot of people think about, movement and, and this is kind of comes from maybe the lens of the optimizing culture, right? And biohacking and all of that kind of fun stuff, right? There's a lot of like, oh, I will happily take an ice bath if that's gonna help my brain function, right?

But feeding it when it needs to be fed is really hard. It's really hard for women. And some of that does come from the you get to wear hunger as a badge of honor message that a lot of us have been raised with as well. So there is like this kind of weird intersection of hunger as a [00:15:00] badge and productivity slash hustle culture slash whatever.

 There's this weird intersection of all these things. And that's what we do is we kind of work through why. Why is hunger this block? , Why are we blocked on feeding and nourishing our brain and our body so that it can do the things we need it to do so we're not running on empty?

Shannon Russell: Mm-hmm. 

Lindsay Martens: And so the same thing. We wouldn't expect our vehicle to run on empty. We don't expect it to go very far if there's no gas in the tank. Yeah. True or no or no charge for the EV people. Right. Right, right. We wouldn't expect it to go very far. . Same with our body and our brain. It actually really needs that nutrition.

And so yeah, we do talk a lot about that and we talk a lot about, understanding those hunger cues for a lot of women in business as well, because we're so distracted and busy and in our heads, we live in our heads. This is something we do a lot of in, again, today's world and women who are trying to build something or create something, we live there, and so bringing them back into their bodies even for a second, a day or a minute a day.

Whatever [00:16:00] that looks like for you. I know breathing exercises are helpful, but even just a simple check-in. We do this check-in of how am I feeling right now? 

Shannon Russell: Hmm. 

Lindsay Martens: And we do unpleasant, pleasant, or neutral. But some people really struggle with unpleasant. So if that's you, if you're like, I would never say unpleasant, because I don't wanna be unpleasant.

You can use activated, comfortable or neutral. Mm-hmm. And so what we're doing is we're bringing ourselves into our body and saying, Hey, how am I feeling right now? Oh, I'm cramping. Maybe I'm a little bit activated or unpleasant right now. Oh, I have to go pee. I've had to go pee for the past three hours, but I've been sending emails.

I'm a little bit activated right now. Yeah. I've been wiggling in my seat or something, you know? Yeah. So there's all those things and then we can tune into thirst and hunger because all of those things, our body's really smart and very adaptable. And so then when we have taught it that we are going to ignore those cues.

It sometimes doesn't send them until it's at its limit, and so then we need to like, then we only get the [00:17:00] queue when it's already so far. 

Shannon Russell: My so far is at three o'clock when I'm driving to pick up the kids and I'm like, ravenous, and I feel low energy, and I'm like, oh. It's because I haven't fed myself in hours.

Yes. And I don't, and now that I'm thinking about it, I don't want to say that as a badge of honor. , I don't mean to say that in like, oh, I was working so hard. But it's like you just train yourself to be in that zone. I'm on the computer, I've gotta get this done, but it's all in my head. As business owners, we're our own boss, so we can make our own schedule. I tell my clients, you can close that laptop, but for some reason it's hard for myself, and I think you're right. When you, you feel that low energy and you're not feeling well, it's going, oh well, why is that?

Because I wasn't listening to Lindsay, listening to my body 

Lindsay Martens: earlier to your body. Yes. Yeah, yeah. I know. No, and, and I, I am always happy to replace the voice in your head until the voice in your head gets strong enough too. Right. So that's what I always tell my clients. I'm like, I am [00:18:00] happy to be that voice for you if you need it, uh, until the voice in your own voice gets strong enough to take over.

So, but yes, exactly. I was gonna ask you too, just in that note, because a lot of us want to be. Let's say, I'm gonna use this term, and I hate this term, but a good mom, okay? Mm-hmm. I'm gonna, I hate that term, but I'm gonna use that term.

And so I was gonna ask you when you go to pick them up at three o'clock then too, how is your emotional regulation, how are you like at being present and in tune with what they need and being that mom that you.

Want to be, and this is not of course to throw shame on you or anything, but it's to invite that compassion, curiosity. Yeah. And say, is this helping you in all aspects of life that 

Shannon Russell: you value? I think now that I'm thinking about it, I think I am feeling low energy, but I'm excited to see them. But then, , sometimes the kids don't wanna talk after school and then that makes me feel bad.

And it's probably just because I am in that high low kind of phase. 'cause I'm not regulated. And then I get sad because they don't wanna talk to me. And then I'm like, what's all this for? And you go into your spiral and I [00:19:00] go home and eat like chips or something, you know? Yes, 

Lindsay Martens: exactly. 

Speaker: I'm not setting myself up for success.

And I have a feeling a lot of us do that every day. And then you hit that, that plateau and you're just like, oh, great. How am I gonna get out of. 

Lindsay Martens: Exactly. It's exactly it. And I have this fun little saying that, uh, you know, a lot of downward spirals are stopped by lunch. Oh yeah. We just have lunch. Oh my gosh.

We can probably 

Speaker: stop a lot of our downward spirals. It's true. Yeah. And that's where like meal prepping comes in, right? Like I'm always have the best intentions on Sundays to do that because then you don't have to worry

Lindsay Martens: yeah.

Speaker: So many low. So I wasm gonna say mindful 

Lindsay Martens: eating is the best. Like if you can eat mindfully, amazing. But that also is not for everybody, for every meal, and we don't have to do every meal that way. So maybe that's not lunch for you. Maybe lunch is an eating at your desk while you're answering emails or something like that.

Like that's perfectly fine if that's what we need to do. To get that energy into your body so your brain can properly [00:20:00] function and help you have that focus and creativity that you so, so want for the afternoon. And that attention and emotional regulation for the evening and all the other jobs you have to do in your life.

So yeah, we set that bar so high, we go like, only if I can do the gold standard. That's the only reason I can do this, or only way I can do this. And that's actually not true. There's a bajillion other ways you can do it. They're all gold stars. Mm-hmm. They all can count. They're all valuable. And so just kind of just.

Distill that down again to exploring what, what do I have capacity for in my day? Do I have capacity to sit and enjoy my lunch while I'm watching a show or reading a book or doing something not work related? Yeah. Or am I actually just trying to cram so much into my day because my evenings and my are so important to me to be a present mom that maybe my lunchtime is not a super mindful moment, but my supper is while I'm engaging with my family.

Shannon Russell: Hmm. So there's 

Lindsay Martens: like that kind of exploration that happens and that alignment that comes into play with that too. So there's also meal prep, but there's also like there's, I mean we [00:21:00] have, we have something called Inspired Go Salads here, and there's like a bunch of different meal like things you can get delivered.

So if that's something else that you're like, I don't have time to meal prep. Then maybe we lean on something different and so sandwiches do not take very long to make. If it's even just like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, cool. Like, I'm so happy for you. And have an apple on the side or some vegetables, like great.

Right. So like little things like that. Cheese and crackers and veggies. Also like things that don't have to be super intensive labor wise. 

Speaker: Yep. 

Lindsay Martens: Can just give you that nice rounded lunch of those like fiber, protein fats for your brains. Like that's what we want to go in. Yeah. 

Shannon Russell: And so if somebody is, feeling like me and they're thinking about, okay, 2026, I'm gonna get on the right path and I'm gonna start my business finally and I'm gonna start the second act, what would you suggest they start when it comes to making sure they're also thinking about their health while they embark on this next act?

Lindsay Martens: Yeah. So I would really encourage you to. I am [00:22:00] gonna say it again 'cause it's super important, but to think about how you're going to fuel your brain, how you're going to fuel that CEO brain, because it's gonna, it's, it's doing all of the heavy lifting when you're starting a new business or even when you're just trying to run one.

It does everything for you. A lot of it you're sitting, it's not really your physical, you're physical body that's doing a lot of that heavy lifting for you, it's your brain. And so thinking about how you're going to fuel it in a way where it's not asking for energy. All the time, , and you're kind of meeting its needs.

That would be my biggest takeaway for you to have the best success and really help you feel really empowered, and being able to make decisions and take action and having that energy and clarity.. 

Shannon Russell: As you're building your business or you're trying to scale your business, keep your self and your own health into consideration.

Take yourself along there. Don't drag yourself behind what you're building because your business is only going to be as successful as you are if you're taking care of yourself. Yeah. I think that's an important step that oftentimes we forget, we put [00:23:00] ourselves last behind everyone else, and you're here to tell us, no, we need to put ourselves first to make sure we're healthy enough to make this business succeed and make it last.

'cause we wanna be there for the long run. 

Lindsay Martens: We have that martyr thing going on too, where a lot of people feel like we just, all the sayings about, you know, you can't, pour from an empty cup and put your own oxygen mask on first, and all of those fun sayings that exist.

But really it comes down to, , basic needs. Food is a basic need. Sleep is sleep is a basic need. Yeah, these things are all basic needs. And at the top of like any sort of like need hierarchy chart. You need to have that base first. And so self-actualization, I think is at the top. And so that's kind of what we're going for with a business.

We're kind of going for that, but if we don't have that base foundation, it's really just set on like sand, right? Like it's on wet sand and we're gonna like hope for the best. And so we just wanna really make sure that base is really strong. 

Shannon Russell: What do you do as a [00:24:00] business owner? \ You are dealing with your clients, you're running your business.

I know you're starting a podcast. Yeah. You've got lots of things going on. So how do you take care of yourself and fuel your CEO brain? 

Lindsay Martens: We eat breakfast with our kids every morning kind of thing. And then at lunch, I eat at my desk. That's what I do. I eat at my desk., I have an assortment.

I have like three or four things that I rotate through because again, we do not need to be fancy. It doesn't need to be anything. While out there, , if we think about, it's funny, I'm gonna just say this 'cause this is kind of funny, but we have this weird thing where like breakfast we're okay with having like one or two rotations and then lunch we feel like there needs to be like four or five and then separate needs to be like 17.

And we're like, why? Why did this, like, what happened? That's so true though. It's really funny and weird. And then also sufferers we have, we typically have as a family, but . I have scheduled days that we do order out because we have activities and it's wild, and I don't want to be spending that precious.

[00:25:00] Hour or two after school, before we have to run off making dinner. So that to me is like how I've done my alignment with who I want to be as a mom and where that all lines up. But I, I often eat lunch at my desk because I do have limited hours as well. And so, yeah, that's what I.

Speaker: But you make sure to do it. You fit it into your schedule. And I think that's important. I often will block off that time, but then you just get caught up in something and, but I think starting the new year and just wanting to start those habits early, . Is important, and I think for anyone listening who is embarking on this huge change in the new year of whatever that might be, to think about yourself first and build yourself into the equation, to start off again on the right foot so that you can build those habits.

As you're building your business or writing that book or starting that podcast, whatever it might be. And like you said, it can be just a couple of staples. What suggestions would you have? For me, I always have hummus and, , I slice up peppers because I really enjoy that or 

Lindsay Martens: Yeah.

Speaker: You [00:26:00] know, like, what then? 

Lindsay Martens: Where's your carbs? Where's your carbs? You know? Yes. Like, I'm like then, so again, making sure you kind of have something from all the macronutrient groups in there. 'cause your brain does want. A little bit of all of it. But really, like I said, it takes a lot of carbohydrates to run your brain and that is its preferred, , energy source.

I know we have, um, like keto, it can run, it can, it can do it on that as well, but it's preferred energy source is glucose and from carbohydrates. So getting that in is really helpful. I also wanted to say that, , lunchtime, it's, I hear a lot of times people are like, I block it off, but then I work through it.

Mm-hmm. So part of why, , I actually don't block off lunch. I have spent so much of my adult life and mom life, let's say, understanding my body because I felt so disconnected to it after I had my twins. I actually have three kids, but after my twins, I felt so disconnected from it. And so I've spent a lot of time reconnecting with it.

So my body actually will not, it like is yelling at me really early on the hunger sign. So that's also part of what I was gonna just share is that, you know, spending that time. [00:27:00] Understanding what your signals and reminding it that, hey, I'm here to listen. 

Shannon Russell: Mm. Can 

Lindsay Martens: be really helpful for you if you're somebody who does block off the time, but is a hard time actually going to get food.

Shannon Russell: Yeah. Because 

Lindsay Martens: then your body is like, there's, you can't ignore it at that point. Like, I can't ignore it. Or I notice. And like again, having that can, that curiosity and probably like this email's taken me a real long time to write, you know what? Why is that happening? Instead of being like, what's wrong with you?

Why can't you do this and you should be smarter, blah, blah, blah. , All that negative self-talk that can happen. Yes. I'll be like, oh, right, it's 1230 or one o'clock or two, whatever. I'm like, I should go eat something. Yeah. And so then it's like, yeah, okay, yeah. Maybe I wasn't listening. Super great.

So just being that really curious about what's going on and when you notice those dips and those changes, instead of thinking that something's wrong with you or thinking that you need to push through. 

Speaker: Asking and listen. 

Lindsay Martens: Yeah. Yes, yes. 

Speaker: It's so easy to do.

It's just like, write that, post-it. Because it's easy to just push it down again, push ourselves and our needs off to the side. [00:28:00] Uh, yes. This is such good stuff and I love it. Earlier you talked about when you set out to start your private practice, you didn't feel like you quote unquote looked the part.

Mm-hmm. And there are so many of my clients that feel the same way on whatever they're embarking on. I'm gonna open, , a hair salon, or I'm gonna start this Etsy shop, whatever it is. Who am I to do that? Those questions we ask ourselves and who am I to show up and be this person that I want to be?

And it's so easy to just say, okay, I don't like that feeling. It's uncomfortable. I'm just gonna stay where I am. Yes. What helped push you through and how did you work through that? 

Lindsay Martens: It is an ongoing process is what I'm gonna share as well. Mm-hmm. So it's an, it's not, it's never ever a one and done situation for people. So I, I need to share that right out the gate, because I think there's a lot of people who are like, oh, I just need to fix this, and then it's like, done. And I don't, because again, we live in a culture that's gonna tell you, you are not enough for forever and always like that is just mm-hmm.

Unfortunately [00:29:00] where we are. True. So that's a, it's a forever act. So I do a, I did a lot of things beforehand where I was like, okay,

I reminded myself that how I looked, had very little. Nothing to do with \, the knowledge and the information I had to share. And so that was something that I held really close as I was building the business. And then as I continued on and really dove into the work that I do now, I understood more and more that people actually need people in a variety of body sizes and shapes to be in different businesses.

That's actually something people. Need to see. Yes. And they, and very, very much so. So if you're listening to this and you're like, oh, you might need to change my body first. You don't. Please just go. Just go because we need you so much. Everybody needs to see that in every aspect of business and work and all those things.

It's really helpful for [00:30:00] people. ,

This is something that I keep, and maybe this will help somebody too, but I keep this whenever I'm like, oh, who am I? Because you said that. Who am I to do this? Yeah. So Ryan Gosling was famous as like a kid, right? He was famous as a kid. He was, he's a Ryan from Canada.

Well, Ryan Reynolds is also Orion from Canada. And so can you imagine if he was like, there's already a Ryan from Canada. I can't do this. I carry that with me a lot because I'm like, then we wouldn't have them. I mean, they're so different. They're so different and so unique in their own way.

Yes. They're both actors. Yes, they're both Ryan from Canada, but they are different. And so I think that that is something I really, I hold with me and I Hopefully that helps your people too when they're thinking about why me. Yes. And they're also 

Speaker: my two favorite Ryans like ever. 

Lindsay Martens: Right. I like, 

Shannon Russell: they were great.

Like can you imagine if one of them didn't do it? Oh my God. I'm gonna, and this is a great, for anyone listening, print out their pictures, put it on your wall because it's just nice to look at and a great reminder. 

Lindsay Martens: Very true. Yes. 

Speaker: Well, [00:31:00] you're so, so, right, and so you thought about that and you're like. There might be another Lindsay doing this work, but I'm the only Lindsay who is going to show up and create this business the way I want to.

Exactly. And And that moved you forward. And gosh, I'm so glad that you did that, look at where you are now and how many people you've helped through your work. 

Lindsay Martens: Yeah, no, I'm so glad I took the leap too. Like that's the thing that I think.

I mean, yes. Okay. Like yes, there's fear. Yes, there's fear. Yes, there's nerves. Yes, you're excited. There's all those feelings that you have to kind of work through and figure out how to plow through and be like, get outta the way so I can do this thing. But there's so much joy and I am so, so grateful that I did take the leap and that I did decide to do this.

I can't imagine doing anything else, that's kind of where I'm at now is I'm like, I can't imagine doing anything else. I love this so much. Like I love doing what I do. I love being able to create something from nothing, which is also very cool. Like it's a very cool use of your brain and you get to feel really, , empowered really is [00:32:00] how it feels. You feel very empowered doing this kind of stuff. 

Speaker: and you're able to do it on your own schedule with your three kids , and then to empower other women and see the transformations that you're, you're giving to them is just, it's gotta fill you up in a way that maybe it didn't with you.

Clients in the past when you worked in outpatient , and everywhere else. 

Lindsay Martens: Yes, a hundred percent. You get to kind of do it your way. You get to do and build in a way that makes sense instead of always being focused on the results that people above you want maybe mm-hmm.

Is maybe the way to say that for, that's kind of universal for everybody. And so you get to be like, actually I, I can see that that maybe isn't the right way to approach that. And so I'm gonna do it this way because I know this 'cause I've done this for a while and a lot of people I think, who are starting their second act probably have done something for a while.

Probably feel pretty. Strong in a situation or like in something that they're thinking about doing. And so there's that knowledge where you're like, I know I could do this better. I know I could do this differently, and maybe it's not better for everybody. That's also the part that I think is really important.

It might not be better [00:33:00] for everybody, but it's gonna be better for somebody and somebody who's gonna want that, so yeah. Yeah. 

Speaker: And to, to get yourself in a place where you're happy and you have this business, and to know that someone's going to be attracted to working with you and not the other Lindsay.

There's enough work for everyone , someone's going to. Meet you, hear you on this show and say, I can relate to her and that's why I wanna work with her over someone else. So it's that fit in that relationship that you form. And if you didn't start this business, you wouldn't be able to help those people. And so I think a hundred, it's amazing that you did that for yourself and for them.

Lindsay Martens: Yes. Thank you. No, I agree. I think it's a, it's such a powerful thing to do, right? Like you too, , you're your second act also is so powerful and, and such a great story. And so. The leap is not for everybody, but I think there's a lot of women who listen to the , I really shouldn't, or I can't, or I'm not enough voice is really what I wanna say.

The I'm not enough voice. And a lot of women listen to that instead of taking the leap. But if it's [00:34:00] for different reasons, then yeah, like maybe you shouldn't take the leap. But a lot of people listen to that. Not enough voice instead. And I think there's some, a really valuable part in society where women do take that leap.

Shannon Russell: Mm. And 

Lindsay Martens: women do lean into their own knowledge and power and creativity

Speaker: And as they should, I feel like you and I are, you know, know each other well. We're in the same mastermind together, so we know each other's businesses and support each other. And you want to support other women who want to make the leap

and, and that leads me to your programs. 'cause you have some really incredible ways that people can work with you. Fed Mamas, that's an incredible program that you created. Tell us a little bit about that. 

Lindsay Martens: , So Fed Mamas is for anybody, so who wants to heal their relationship with food and their bodies.

There's a really big generational impact. I think we can all know that and all relate to that where, um, a lot of the times where the way some women in your lives talked about their bodies or talked about the way they fed their bodies or fueled their bodies can really stick with you. And so Fed Mamas is [00:35:00] created to help kind of break that generational chain and also to help you really understand.

How to, again, care for your body and understand what it's trying to tell you and understand that you, you don't need to change your body, but these are the ways you can care for it instead. And kept changing that lens from control to curiosity. So that's really what Fed Mamas is. It's a lovely group program.

It has like. The best results. I love it. So, so much. , And then I also do a program called Proactive Action. And so that's what I was saying before that Proactive Health kind of stayed with me. Yeah. And so Proactive Action is a longer program. , It's currently just for Manitoba residents, but it is, something that I love doing as well as six months.

And we are relaunching in January and it's getting a little bit of a glow up, so I'm very excited about that too. 

Shannon Russell: Ooh, we, 

Lindsay Martens: um, are really focused on building the sustainable habits for proactive health. So in that six months you get a Nutrigenomics test.

So that's a DNA swab to help you understand what your genes are telling you [00:36:00] you're at risk for. And we are also adding this time, , a. Full blood panel workup, so all the biomarkers. I'm working with a company called NEA Health and they give you a dashboard and kind of give you a grade for each of your organs so that when we're working together, we can really focus in on what matters to you and maybe where there's family history and where we can kind of help you have that.

Really, really proactive health. Yeah. It's exciting. I know,

right now, it's just Manitoba. But if there's anybody else who's interested, please just send me an email.

'cause then I just need to look at getting licensing wherever you are. Okay. Yeah. Amazing. Hang out. Yes. But then for everybody in,, early 2026, I am launching a membership. So that's going to be for everybody. Who wants to come and learn more about this kinda stuff. And so it's called The Good Enough Health Club.

Mm-hmm. And we are doing that, yeah. Early 2026. So that's gonna be really fun as well. So, yeah. Oh my gosh, I didn't know about 

Speaker: that. I'm very excited. I know. 

Lindsay Martens: I'm very excited too. , I'm really pumped about it. 'cause I'm like, I wanted to serve [00:37:00] more people so this is a way I can do that in a way where I can still pass on a lot of the stuff I know and a lot of the stuff I work with clients, um, but in a broader scope. I'm excited about it. I love 

Speaker: that. And your podcast, can we talk about that? Yeah. 

Lindsay Martens: Yeah. That's launching in January, so that's called Good Enough Health.

So it's a good enough health podcast where we're gonna be talking about, how to feel good enough about your health, how to. Prioritize health in a way that feels good enough instead of always trying to work for optimizing or biohacking, because that's what's the message is right now.

And that's fine for some people, but that's not what a lot of the women I talk to are looking for. A lot of them just wanna feel good in their bodies. A lot of them wanna feel good about what they're doing for their bodies, for their health, long-term health. Yeah. And so that's what we're gonna be talking about on the Good Enough Health Podcast.

Speaker: So many good things. I'm so excited for you. Thank you. What a year. , I'm gonna link to everything that you've talked about Yeah. In the show notes, in the description, but how can people get in touch with you and follow and just stay in touch with you? 

Lindsay Martens: Yeah. So I am on Instagram at Lindsay Martin's nutrition.

I'm pretty much [00:38:00] everywhere at Lindsay Martens Nutrition. And then my website is also lindsay Martens nutrition.com. So I'm really easy. Try to keep it simple for everybody. , It is Lindsay with an A, just for clarification, and Martin's with an E. Okay. Because I know there's lots of different things out there.

Shannon Russell: Yes. Just go to the show notes. I'll have it all for you. And, uh, Lindsay, this is such a great conversation. Honestly, we could keep talking because there's. So much good stuff, so I'll have to have you back in the new year if you're listening and you have questions for Lindsay and you want to hear more about how you can really dive in and create a better health and lifestyle for yourself in your second act and when you're creating your business, please let me know.

Let Lindsay know and we will continue this conversation I think more women have to think about their health and fuel their bodies so that they can be successful. That's the missing piece that a lot of us really need.

So thank you for opening our eyes to that today. 

Lindsay Martens: Yes, I am happy to help. Send in the questions. If you have anything. Shannon and I are happy to talk more, thanks so much, Lynn. Yeah, thank you.

Speaker 2: Thank you for [00:39:00] joining us. I hope you found some gems of inspiration and some takeaways to help you on your path to second act, success. To view show notes from this episode, visit second act success.co. Before you go, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode. Reviews only take a few moments and they really do mean so much.

Thank you again for listening. I'm Shannon Russell. And this is second act success.