Blah, Burned Out, Feeling 'Beige'? Wellness Coach Amber Berger Wants a Word
Show Snapshot:
Feeling midlife blah? Fatigued, washed out? Wellness coach Amber Berger works with women who say they’ve dulled from vibrant to “beige.” As founder of The Well Drop, she guides women to reclaim vitality without overwhelm. After tackling Crohn's disease at 14 through food and lifestyle changes, Amber discovered the compounding power of small, daily actions to boost overall health. Learn how to simplify wellness (no 10-step routines), explore the health tech like infrared therapy that Amber swears by, and discover how continuous glucose monitors can help make you smarter about your metabolic health. Listen in for ideas to keep midlife colorful!
Show Links:
Follow Amber:
Amber’s Podcast:
Quotable:
“Midlife doesn't have to mean fading to beige. You're not meant to blend into the background—you're meant to be the most vivid version of yourself yet.”
Transcript:
Katie Fogarty 0:05
Katie, welcome to A Certain Age, a show for women who are unafraid to age out loud. I'm your host, Katie Fogarty. Beauties, I've interviewed nearly 100 doctors on the show. Over the years, we've heard how small shifts in your behaviors can add up to big transformation for your health. These top docs often come with prescription pad recommendations that go beyond meds to simple lifestyle choices that can move the needle on improving your health. Today, we're doing something a little different. We're hearing from a woman who has walked the talk of lifestyle behavior shift to dramatically improve her overall health with small, consistent actions, compounded over years. After healing from Crohn's disease at age 14 through food and lifestyle changes, Amber Berger sparked a 30-plus year journey into incremental health optimization. Now as the founder of The Well Drop, a podcast, newsletter, and wellness coaching platform, Amber helps midlife women tackle lifestyle changes one drop at a time that fuel healthy longevity. She joins us today to share her story, remind us of the power of compounding action to drive sustainable change, and to do a deep dive into health tech, specifically continuous glucose monitors. Common among diabetics for managing blood sugar, CGM monitors are seeing a wave of popularity among non-diabetics as a tool for fighting chronic inflammation and optimizing health. Amber gives us the 411 and how she uses this tool and how, as a certified health coach, she guides her clients to build consistent, sustainable health wins, day in and day out. Welcome to A Certain Age.
Katie Fogarty 1:48
Amber,
Amber Berger 1:48
Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.
Katie Fogarty 1:52
Amber.
Katie Fogarty 1:53
You took control of your Crohn's disease at 14. It was with food and lifestyle changes. What was the pivotal moment when you realized you had agency over your health?
Amber Berger 2:03
Yeah, I think I just was lucky to somehow be—I call myself a wellness rebel. I just went against the grain. I think the root was really starting when I was 11. I was a competitive dancer, and I developed juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, so my right knee started blowing up and being inflamed, and we would go to the doctor and get cortisone injections, and then the doctor put me on Bayer aspirin—high doses—for about a year. And I always believe, I think my gift is connecting the dots. I truly think that, actually, that experience probably set off my digestive tract, and at 14, I then was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. So the treatment for Crohn's disease back then was you get surgery, which I did my spring break of my sophomore year of high school, followed by steroids. And I was not comfortable with that notion of just being on steroids for life. Something did not sit well with me. I guess looking back now, that was probably just my gut intuition. And so we started reaching out to our community. And I'm a really big believer of transparency and sharing and leaning on your community for support. And luckily, through that, through my mom, really, who was the one that was doing all of that outreach, we connected with somebody who introduced us to macrobiotics. And this is before Gwyneth Paltrow or Madonna put it on the map, but we went to the Macrobiotic Institute in the Berkshires. It's actually—it used to be located in Becket, Massachusetts, for a week. And I was 14 at the time, and basically over seven days, my entire life transformed, and I learned about the power of the body to heal. I learned about Eastern philosophy and self-care practices. And I say that I kind of look at my diagnosis now as a gift, that it really allowed me to discover Eastern philosophy and discover the power of the body at such a young age, and it just sent me on a whole different trajectory that I healed myself from Crohn's naturally through food. After I had surgery, they put me on the steroids, and once I was there, I took myself off them, and I never looked back. And it's kind of crazy in hindsight, my mom and I didn't even really think about it, but I went for my six-month appointment, and I just believed in my body, and I knew in times of stress, that's usually what can trigger your autoimmune to come out. I knew how to go back and I would go get reflexology. I would eat really clean. I believed in always eating three real meals. I always really looked at food as nourishment, instead of something that I think a lot of women, all of my best friends, would be sort of yo-yo dieting or restricting. I always looked at it as this is what fueled me to keep feeling great.
Katie Fogarty 4:56
It's amazing to think that you suffered these two major health setbacks at such a young age, but when you say that it was a gift that sort of put you on this path right now, you've been walking this path for over 30 years. Now, when did you take your personal wisdom and experience and turn it into a platform to help other women?
Amber Berger 5:16
My first foray into the wellness space was around 2016-2017. I was living in Manhattan, and I always come from a place of service. I was running a concierge business for over a decade. I'm an entrepreneur by nature, and I was seeing amongst—I was a newer mom—that women were more burnt out than ever. Whether they had a job or didn't have a job, it didn't matter. But they just were struggling through the days. And it led me, actually, thanks to my husband—he had this illness, this annoying cough, actually, that wouldn't let me fall asleep at night. And I was like, 'Alright, we got to figure this out.' Because he went to every doctor—no one had an answer. There wasn't anything, you know, if you got your lungs checked, everything was clear, but clearly something was going on. So like I said, I'm always the endless advocate and researcher, so I'm like, 'I'm gonna figure this out.' And it led me to discover this treatment called salt therapy. And we went to experience it, and after one session, it went away, and my mind was pretty blown. Like, 'What in the world is this, and why does nobody know about this? And how amazing—one treatment, boom, done.' And so I started learning about salt therapy, and the benefits of it, not only from a detoxifying space, but also to help calm you and chill you out. And that was when I created Salt House, which was the first wellness social wellness experience, actually, for all ages. And I wanted to create a space to introduce people to wellness in a fun, accessible way, because I always engaged in wellness together as a family. I didn't want it to feel like a separate experience, but that you can almost choose your own experience, like go with your family, or come alone and take a moment for yourself. And our mission was 'Pause to Breathe.' And so that was kind of my initial foray. And then we moved to Miami and COVID, and I took a pause because we moved and to see what was going to be sort of my next act. And it was really through my girlfriends and seeing a lot of them are older than me, and they were starting to experience these midlife symptoms. And it's funny, Katie, I don't know about you, but our generation didn't grow up knowing that there was this sort of perimenopausal time in our life. You know, we knew that we would, you know, you get your periods, if you choose, you have kids, and then we knew about this thing called menopause, but I don't think we really had an education on it. It's interesting being women—we weren't really connected to our cycle and the power of our cycle, and it was a time where, actually, my son was diagnosed with Crohn's right before COVID. So I had to dig deep to be like, 'All right, these women are starting to suffer these symptoms with no answers. I got to figure this out,' so I just went deep into research, and I got certified in fasting, and that was sort of the door opening, of learning about the power of our body in a different way that would connect it to our cycle, and the power of actually taking breaks with our food. Like I said before with macrobiotics, I always believed in nourishing myself. And it was an interesting shift in perspective, that as you age, sometimes we need to actually give our system a little bit of a break. And so I took the last five years—I realized there was no roadmap for women in midlife. And so what is the missing piece? And so The Well Drop was born really out of that, and it was to help sift through the noise. There was so much noise, so much confusion. You know, what's real, what's not, what's good marketing. And I'm—I always call myself—I'm your wellness friend. I'm always that go-to person that's going to tell it to you straight and tell you what's worth your time, not worth your time, and give you the way to actually think about things. I think because of, while it's great, we have Google and we have AI and now ChatGPT at our fingertips, we're so used to outsourcing everything that a lot of times, we've sort of lost sense of tapping into our own inner intuition. Because if you do, you already kind of know the answer. But we love to just be told things—'Just tell me. Just tell me.' But in that space, we've kind of lost our way of having critical thinking skills in a weird way of thinking about like, 'Why do I think I need this? Why am I taking this?' And then to dive in deeper. You know, in the wellness space, there's so many things out there, even just talking about supplements—do you need it? Is it normal to be taking a pill every single day? Like, when you go to Europe, I don't think—it always makes me laugh. And if you travel the world, people aren't downing all of this stuff like we are here. We're such a consumer economy, which is great to a point, but also it could be damaging our bodies and doing more harm than good. So I always like to come from a place of awareness first. Like, let's create awareness into what are we doing? What are our daily habits? And in this chapter of midlife, which can span any time from 35 on, and you know, especially, people talk about your first 50 and the second 50—that we forget to take a moment as our bodies are evolving and aging, to take a moment and analyze our daily habits, like, what are we doing every single day? Because it's those little things that compound over time that can actually lead to amazing results, or be the reason why you might be so—let's
Katie Fogarty 8:41
Let's dig in. Let's talk about the building blocks. What are those wellness 101 foundational habits? I want to say that I know some of them, and I practice many of them, and I think people who listen to this show do as well. But I want us to talk about them because I think they bear repeating, and I think it's a good way to create awareness of the things that we can control, that we can do daily, right, to invest in our long-term health. So let's start with sleep. Talk to me about sleep.
Amber Berger 9:14
Sleep is the foundation. The way I look at it is when I talk about my daily rituals and how I think about them: Ritual number one is your morning ritual. Ritual number two is your movement and nutrition. Ritual number three is your evening routine. And really, ritual three is supporting ritual one. Because if you are not sleeping well, you are not going to show up in your day the way you want to show up. And it's the one thing that we know inherently makes us feel better, and yet it's the one thing that most women will forgo to get the thing done. 'I've got to get this thing done. I've got to respond to this text.' And your body needs time to recover and repair. There's a whole detoxification process that's happening. It's how we're consolidating our memories. We need to prioritize our sleep. And so I think a lot of things come down to your habits during the day that influence your sleep. And I personally believe that we need to practice better, what I call sleep hygiene. I'm very diligent that when the sun goes down, I actually like to dim the lights in my home. I try not to look at my phone past 8 p.m. I will put blue blocker glasses on. I basically am like the oldest person alive, going to sleep around 9:30 p.m. most nights. And like right now, it's almost 9 a.m. and I woke up at 5:45 a.m. And I don't use an alarm because I've practiced sleep and going to sleep at the same time every day that my body just wakes me up naturally. And I think that when you're not sleeping well, it's affecting your blood sugar balance. There's so many cascading, domino effects, and we're a much more reactive society instead of understanding that you can actually be proactive and take charge of yourself and even doing simple things like tracking your sleep.
Katie Fogarty 11:06
Let's talk about nutrition. What are the main principles that guide your approach to eating?
Amber Berger 11:13
I eat three balanced meals. I'm not a big snacker. I personally am an advocate and a fan of intermittent fasting. But I think that this is where you as an individual, you have to figure out what works for your body. Because there are certain people that that's just not going to work for you. But the overall principles are eating real, whole foods. I mean, our great-grandparents ate real food. Like, why are we trying to reinvent the wheel here? We live in a society where now the majority of Americans are metabolically unhealthy. We're looking at being sick more than we're well. And we can change that. We can actually start with our daily food choices. And I always say protein is queen in midlife. We need to be prioritizing our protein, getting in at least 100 grams a day—that's going to be dependent on your activity level. You want to be eating protein at every single meal to help keep you satiated and help with your muscle recovery. So I like to eat in a macro-balanced way. I don't count my macros. I just kind of have a sense of what a serving looks like because I've been doing this for so long, but it's like a fist of protein, a fist of carbohydrate, and then adding in those healthy fats. I'm a huge fan of cooking with tallow and butter, ghee. I think seed oils—like, why are we consuming seed oils? If you travel the world, nobody's cooking in seed oils. And so these are the things that it's just kind of like taking a step back and like, where can we be more intentional? And then how can you actually prepare most of your own food? Because when you're going out, you really don't know what you're getting. And I think because we're living in a convenience economy, we forget about the art of actually preparing a meal, sitting down at a table to eat the meal, and enjoying the process of actually eating the meal. It's become this transactional thing that I need to like grab and go. And our digestive system doesn't actually work like that. We need to slow down. We need to chew our food. We need to allow our bodies to digest.
Katie Fogarty 13:25
Movement. Let's talk about movement.
Amber Berger 13:27
Movement is medicine. I think in midlife, especially, we need to be prioritizing strength training. We're losing muscle mass. We're becoming at a higher risk for bone density loss. Strength training is queen. And I think a lot of women get intimidated by it, and it's like—you don't need to do all these crazy things. Start where you are. Maybe it's bodyweight exercises. Maybe it's picking up some dumbbells at home. Maybe it's going to join a class. But I think being consistent with it is more important than the perfect workout. I also am a huge fan of just walking. I think walking is so underrated. It's great for your metabolism. It's great for your mental health. It's great to just get outside, get some fresh air, get some sunlight. And then I layer in other things. Like I do Pilates. I'll do some higher intensity interval training, but it's not every day. It's like sprinkled in. And I think about movement in terms of—it's not just about the hour that I'm working out. It's about how am I moving throughout my day? Like, am I taking breaks to stand up? Am I doing some stretches? Am I taking the stairs instead of the elevator? It's those little micro-movements throughout your day that add up.
Katie Fogarty 14:45
Stress management. This is a big one.
Amber Berger 14:48
Stress management is huge because stress is literally impacting everything in your body. It's impacting your hormones. It's impacting your gut health. It's impacting your sleep. It's impacting your immune system. And I think we live in a society where stress is worn like a badge of honor. And it's like, 'Oh, I'm so busy. I'm so stressed.' And it's like, okay, but that's actually not serving you. So what are you doing about it? And I think for me, my non-negotiables around stress management are my morning routine. I wake up, I do not look at my phone. I go outside, I ground, I get some sunlight. I'll do some breath work. I'll do some meditation. And that sets the tone for my entire day. And then throughout the day, if I notice that I'm feeling stressed or overwhelmed, I'll take a moment. I'll do some breath work. I'll go for a walk. I'll step outside. And then in the evening, it's really about unwinding. It's about creating that space to transition from your day into your rest. And I think that we just go, go, go, go, go, and then we wonder why we can't sleep or why we're waking up at 3 a.m. with our minds racing. It's because we haven't given our nervous system the signal to calm down.
Katie Fogarty 16:14
I love everything that you just said. And I think one of the things that strikes me is this idea of intentionality and mindfulness around each of these pillars. And I think that's where people sometimes struggle, right? Because we know what we should be doing, but actually doing it and being intentional about it is a different story. How do you help your clients bridge that gap between knowing and doing?
Amber Berger 16:41
I think it comes down to mindset and really understanding your 'why.' Why do you want to make this change? Because if you don't have a strong enough 'why,' you're not going to stick with it. And I think a lot of times, women come to me and they're like, 'I want to lose weight.' Okay, but why do you want to lose weight? Is it because you want to feel more confident? Is it because you want to have more energy to play with your kids? Like, what is the deeper reason? And when we can tap into that, that's when we can create sustainable change. And then it's about making it so simple and so easy that you can't fail. Like, I'm all about lowering the barrier to entry. So if someone's like, 'I want to start working out,' okay, well, what does that look like? Is it five minutes a day? Can you commit to five minutes a day? Because five minutes is better than zero minutes. And then once you build that habit and that consistency, then we can layer on more. But I think we get so caught up in this all-or-nothing mentality that if we can't do the hour-long workout, we don't do anything. And that's where we fail. So it's about creating these micro-habits that are sustainable and that build on each other over time.
Katie Fogarty 18:02
I want to shift gears a little bit and talk about continuous glucose monitors. This is something that you use personally and that you recommend to some of your clients. For those who might not be familiar, can you explain what a continuous glucose monitor is and why someone who's not diabetic might want to use one?
Amber Berger 18:25
Yeah, so a continuous glucose monitor, or CGM, is a small device that you wear on your arm, and it's continuously monitoring your blood sugar levels in real-time. And traditionally, it's been used for people with diabetes to help them manage their blood sugar. But now we're seeing a lot of metabolically healthy people using it as a biofeedback tool to understand how their body is responding to food, to stress, to sleep, to exercise. And I think it's such a powerful tool because it takes the guesswork out of it. Like, you can actually see in real-time how your body is responding. And what I love about it is that it's so personalized. Because what might spike my blood sugar might not spike yours. And so it allows you to really understand your own body and your own metabolic health. And I think in midlife, especially, as our hormones are changing and we're becoming more insulin resistant, understanding our blood sugar and how to keep it stable is so important. Because when our blood sugar is all over the place, it's impacting our energy, it's impacting our mood, it's impacting our cravings, it's impacting our sleep, it's impacting our hormones. So using a CGM can help you understand, okay, when I eat this meal, this is how my body responds. And then you can make adjustments accordingly.
Katie Fogarty 19:49
So what are some of the key insights that you've gained from wearing a CGM yourself?
Amber Berger 19:56
One of the biggest insights for me was understanding that it's not just about what you eat, but it's about when you eat it and what you eat it with. So for example, if I were to eat a banana by itself, my blood sugar would spike. But if I eat a banana with almond butter, it's going to have a much more gradual response because the fat and the protein are helping to slow down the absorption of the sugar. Same thing with meal sequencing. If I eat my vegetables first, then my protein, then my carbohydrates, I'm going to have a much more stable blood sugar response than if I just dive into the pasta. And I also learned how much stress impacts my blood sugar. Like, I could eat the exact same meal, but if I'm stressed, my blood sugar is going to be higher because cortisol is telling my body to release glucose into my bloodstream. And so it really helped me understand the connection between all of these different lifestyle factors and how they're all impacting my metabolic health. And I also learned that movement after meals is huge. Like, if I go for a 10-15 minute walk after I eat, it significantly blunts the blood sugar spike. And so these are all things that I can control, and it's empowering to know that I have agency over my own health.
Katie Fogarty 21:27
That's fascinating. And I think what I love about what you're describing is that it's not about restriction or deprivation. It's about understanding your body and making informed choices. Like, you can still eat the foods you love, but you're eating them in a way that's supporting your metabolic health.
Amber Berger 21:46
Exactly. And I think that's what's so important is that it's not about being perfect. It's about being aware and being intentional. And I think that when you have that data, it allows you to make better choices. Like, if I know that I'm going to have a big dinner out with friends and I know that I'm probably going to indulge a little bit, okay, well, what can I do earlier in the day to set myself up for success? Can I make sure that I'm moving my body? Can I make sure that I'm eating protein-rich meals earlier in the day so that I'm not showing up to dinner starving? And then after dinner, can I go for a walk? Like, there are all these little things that you can do to support your body. And I think that's what's so powerful about using a CGM is that it gives you that real-time feedback so that you can make adjustments and really understand what works for your body.
Katie Fogarty 22:47
Are there any downsides or considerations that people should be aware of before they decide to use a CGM?
Amber Berger 22:55
I think the biggest thing is that it can become obsessive if you're not careful. And I think that's something to be aware of, especially if you already have a history of disordered eating or if you're someone who tends to be very type A and very controlling around your habits. Because you can get so caught up in the numbers and trying to have the perfect blood sugar response that it actually becomes stressful, which is counterproductive. So I always tell people, use it as a tool for learning and for awareness, but don't let it control you. And I also think it's important to work with someone who can help you interpret the data because numbers can be very overwhelming if you don't understand what they mean. And I think that's where working with a health coach or a functional medicine practitioner can be really helpful because they can help you understand what's normal, what's not normal, and what adjustments you can make. And I also think it's not meant to be something that you wear forever. It's meant to be a tool that you use for a period of time to learn about your body, and then you can take that information and apply it to your life without needing to wear the device.
Katie Fogarty 24:15
That makes a lot of sense. It's a learning tool, not a permanent fixture.
Amber Berger 24:19
Exactly. And I think that's what's so important is that all of these tools—whether it's a CGM, whether it's an Oura ring, whether it's a Whoop—they're all just tools to help you understand your body better. But at the end of the day, you have to learn to listen to your own body and trust your own intuition. Because no device is going to tell you how you feel better than you can tell yourself. And I think that's what we've lost in this age of technology is that we're so reliant on these devices to tell us what to do that we've forgotten how to tune in to our own bodies and listen to what they're telling us.
Katie Fogarty 25:02
I want to talk a little bit about your coaching practice. What does it look like when someone works with you? What's the process?
Amber Berger 25:11
So when someone works with me, it's a very personalized approach. I don't believe in cookie-cutter programs because I think we're all individuals and we all have different needs. So the first thing I do is I really get to know someone. Like, what's your health history? What are your goals? What are your challenges? What have you tried in the past? What worked? What didn't work? And then from there, we create a roadmap together. And I always start with the foundations. So we're looking at sleep, we're looking at nutrition, we're looking at movement, we're looking at stress management. Because if those foundations aren't solid, nothing else is going to work. And then we layer in other things as needed. So maybe it's working with a CGM. Maybe it's optimizing supplements. Maybe it's hormone testing. But it's all very customized based on what that individual needs. And I also believe in meeting people where they are. So if someone is completely overwhelmed and stressed out, I'm not going to give them a 10-step protocol because that's just going to add more stress. We're going to start with one thing. What's the one thing that you can do today that's going to move the needle? And then we build from there. And I think that's what's so important is that it's sustainable and it's realistic. Because I don't want you to come to me for three months and then go back to your old habits. I want to teach you how to fish, not give you the fish. I want you to learn how to take care of yourself so that you can continue these habits for the rest of your life.
Katie Fogarty 26:49
What do you see as the biggest challenges that midlife women face when it comes to their health?
Amber Berger 26:57
I think the biggest challenge is that we're in this phase of life where our bodies are changing, and a lot of the things that used to work for us don't work anymore. And that can be really frustrating and confusing. And I think a lot of women feel like they're failing or they're doing something wrong, when in reality, it's just that your body is different now and it needs different support. And I think the other challenge is that we're often in the sandwich generation where we're taking care of our kids and we're taking care of our aging parents, and we put ourselves last. And our health becomes the thing that we sacrifice because we're so busy taking care of everyone else. And I think that's where burnout happens. And I think what's so important is to recognize that you can't pour from an empty cup. And if you're not taking care of yourself, you're not going to be able to show up for the people that you love in the way that you want to show up. And so it's about prioritizing yourself and recognizing that taking care of your health is not selfish. It's necessary. And I think that's a mindset shift that a lot of midlife women need to make.
Katie Fogarty 28:21
I love that. And I think that message is so important because so many women do feel guilty about prioritizing their own health. But you're right, if you're not taking care of yourself, you can't take care of anyone else. I want to shift gears one more time and talk about your daily rituals. You mentioned that you have three main rituals: your morning ritual, your movement and nutrition, and your evening routine. Can you walk us through what a typical day looks like for you?
Amber Berger 28:54
Yeah, absolutely. So my morning ritual is sacred to me. I wake up around 5:45-6 a.m. I do not look at my phone. The first thing I do is I go outside and I ground. So I'm barefoot on the grass or on the earth for about 10-15 minutes, and I'm getting sunlight in my eyes. This is helping to regulate my circadian rhythm. It's helping to wake up my body naturally. Then I come inside, I'll do some breath work, I'll do some meditation. I'll drink a big glass of water, usually with some lemon and sea salt to help hydrate and replenish my electrolytes. And then I'll have my coffee, and I'll journal. And that's my time before the rest of the house wakes up. And that sets the tone for my entire day. Then for movement and nutrition, I try to move my body every day, but it looks different every day. Some days it's a strength training session. Some days it's Pilates. Some days it's just a walk. And I'm very intentional about my meals. So I'm eating three balanced meals. Breakfast is usually eggs with some vegetables and avocado. Lunch is usually a big salad with protein. Dinner is usually protein and vegetables and maybe a carb depending on what I did that day. And then my evening routine is all about unwinding. So around 8 p.m., I start dimming the lights. I'll put on my blue blocker glasses. I'll take a bath or I'll do some gentle stretching. I'll read. And I'm in bed by 9:30 p.m. And that's my routine. And it's very simple, but it's very consistent. And I think that's what makes it sustainable.
Katie Fogarty 30:47
I love the simplicity of it. And I think that's what makes it so doable, right? It's not complicated. It's just consistent habits that you do every single day.
Amber Berger 31:00
Exactly. And I think that's what people don't realize is that it doesn't have to be complicated to be effective. Like, the most powerful things are often the simplest things. And I think we get so caught up in trying to do all the things and optimize all the things that we forget that the basics are what matter most.
Katie Fogarty 31:25
What about fun? What about joy? How do you incorporate those things into your life?
Amber Berger 31:32
I think for me, my rituals are joyful. Like, I genuinely enjoy my morning routine. I enjoy my evening routine. I enjoy the process of cooking and preparing meals. And I think that's what makes them sustainable. And then outside of that, I make time for the things that bring me joy. Whether it's spending time with my family, whether it's reading a good book, whether it's going for a walk on the beach, whether it's traveling. Like, I'm very intentional about creating space for joy in my life. And I think that's so important because if you're just grinding all the time and you're just optimizing all the time, that's not living. That's just existing. And I think life is meant to be enjoyed. And I think that's what I want for all the women that I work with is to not just feel good in their bodies, but to actually enjoy their lives.
Katie Fogarty 32:41
What would you say to a woman who's listening to this and feeling overwhelmed by all the information and all the things that she thinks she should be doing?
Amber Berger 32:52
I would say start with one thing. Pick one thing that you can do today that's going to move the needle. Maybe it's drinking more water. Maybe it's going to bed 30 minutes earlier. Maybe it's taking a 10-minute walk. But pick one thing and do that consistently for a week, for a month, until it becomes a habit. And then layer on the next thing. Because I think when we try to do everything at once, we get overwhelmed and we end up doing nothing. And I think that's where most people fail. So just start small. Be consistent. And trust the process. Because small changes compounded over time lead to big results.
Katie Fogarty 33:47
I love that. One drop at a time, right? That's the well drop.
Amber Berger 33:51
Exactly. One drop at a time.
Katie Fogarty 34:01
And so are these rituals how you sort of pull enjoyment into your life? The word optimization is so powerful, right? We want to optimize and feel our best, but sometimes it can also have a slightly—I don't want to use the word negative quality, but sometimes it feels like we're continuously having to maybe grind and refine and just we can't relax, and we have to keep going and try to be better. How do you balance taking care of yourself in a way that is nourishing but also sort of flourishing and enjoying life fully?
Amber Berger 34:37
Yeah, I think being really intentional with how you schedule your time. I'm really crazy about being efficient. So I don't love—there's no 10-step routine that's happening. I'm all about being extremely simple. Like, how can I simplify this and be as basic as I can, as long as I can repeat it? Because I think that's more important than doing a bunch of different types of biohacking things, and then pulling from sort of the optimization space, like finding one tool, just one that you connect to, and then using that. Like for me, my tool is my infrared sauna, and I go in there. I call it my mommy cave. That's where I'll read a book, or even catch up on emails, take a moment for myself, and I love it. It also can help boost your immune system. It's a great detoxifier from all these environmental toxins that we have in our body. So that's sort of how I optimize in that way. I call it walking up the staircase. You're not meant to do these big box jumps. You're meant to take these baby steps. And when you're building a wellness lifestyle and you're having these habits that you start doing, it becomes part of who you are, and it becomes a non-negotiable, so it doesn't feel like work, and that's really the ultimate goal, where it just is. And I think there's a difference of feeling like, 'Oh, I have to do this' versus 'This is what I do.' Does that make sense?
Katie Fogarty 36:04
Absolutely. Like, 'I get to go to hot yoga. Yes, I get to put myself through a 60 to 90-minute workout.' Because I know on the other side of it, I feel incredible. And sometimes we have to remind ourselves that it's just habit. It's something that we love. It's something that moves us forward. I love this notion of small steps versus box jumps up the stairs. You know, start with something small, and all of a sudden it becomes something that it's just a part of who you are and what your day is like. And for me, that is hot yoga. Amber, one last question for you. What's one wellness myth about midlife that you're determined to bust through your work?
Amber Berger 36:45
I think the biggest myth is that we need to suffer through it and just accept the new reality and the new norm. I hear it all the time, like, 'Oh, you know, I just—' Someone said, 'I feel beige.' Like, 'I just felt empty. I had no emotion, losing the sense of joy. Like, I guess this is what it is.' And so I really want—I think midlife is the most amazing time of our life, but we need to also feel really good and strong inside. And I think by taking care of ourselves, you're really transforming, not even for yourself, but for the next generations to come, and I think that that will be so empowering for women as a whole.
Katie Fogarty 37:26
Amber, thank you so much for joining me today. Before I say goodbye, though, how can our listeners continue to follow you and your work?
Amber Berger 37:32
Thank you. You can find me at thewelldrop.com and you can also follow me on LinkedIn at Amber Berger.
Katie Fogarty 37:42
This wraps A Certain Age, a show for women who are aging without apology. Beauties, if you have five minutes to spare, I would love it if you would take a minute to write an Apple Podcast or Spotify review, because reviews help other women find the show. It helps guests learn that it's a great show to come on to spend time on. It helps sponsors recognize that the show is worth supporting with their dollars. Basically, your podcast reviews help the show grow. We have an incredible year of shows ahead of us. It would mean so much to me if you would take a minute to review a past episode. Did you learn something on this show? Have you learned something in the past? Do you love hearing the stories of other midlife women? If so, let me know in a review. Thanks for sticking around to the end of the show. Thanks for being a friend of A Certain Age. Thanks for supporting us week in and week out. And special thanks to Michael Mancini, who composed and produced our theme music. See you next time and until then, age boldly, beauties.