Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: This is the All1Nerds podcast, where we are bridging the gap between the stethoscope and the soul and getting back to the human side of healthcare.
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Welcome to the All One Nurse podcast where we come into a closing of season one. And I am just super excited because I have another inspiring guest with us today, Dee Dandridge. Also known as the kind of fit nurse at 50. Dee is a shining example of how age is just a number when it comes to fitness, wellness and holistic lifestyle changes. She has transformed her life through dedication to fitness and wellness and she's here to share her journey, tips and motivation with us. Dee, thank you so much for being here with us today.
[00:01:12] Speaker B: Hello, hello, hello. Thank you so much for having me. I am excited to be here.
[00:01:17] Speaker A: Yes, ma'am. Now, as always, my dear listener, as we prepare for the new year and we get into the new year, new me era, and we start filling up the gym and getting in the way of those who have already been committed, I pray that you can glean from Nurse Dee as she give you some tips and strategies and talk about her role as a fitness influencer so that you don't only get into the gym, but that you're also committed to the gym as well or committed to your fitness regimen. And so with that, we're going to dive into, as always, Dee's professional journey, her personal insights, patient perspective, and then we're really going to go in heavy on her educational insights and her role as a fitness influencer and all things health and wellness. So stick around to the end of this episode so that you can connect with Nurse D. Kinda fit nurse at 50, as well as learning some of her upcoming plans and goals. Welcome, Dee.
[00:02:22] Speaker B: Thank you. Thank you.
[00:02:23] Speaker A: So, getting right to it, tell us, what's your origin story? How did you get to nursing?
[00:02:29] Speaker B: So I'm from a very small town in Mississippi, Coldwater. Shout out to Coldwater, Mississippi. I'm born and raised. I'm a country girl and I'm not ashamed. I didn't have really anybody to look, you know, to for, like, health and fitness, but it's always been in me, I believe, to be healthy and fit. It all started when I was probably about 40. Okay. It was like a light bulb that went off. It's like when I get older, I don't want to be laid up on the couch being a couch potato watching my soap opera. I wanted to be active and backing up a little bit. Before I became a nurse, I was a medical transcriptionist. So that Mean, yeah, I was transcribing medical reports, HPS discharge summary op reports, and I did that for like 10 years. So I'm a late bloomer when it comes to being a nurse. I went to nursing school late and I was. Yeah, I went to nursing school late. And just typing those reports and reading the reports, the HMPs, it kind of gave me a little bit of insight as to the health of us, our culture, in being specific, just reading those reports all the time. And the HMPs about diabetes, high blood pressure, that just rang the bell like all the the time. 50 year old or 30 year old comes in with elevated blood pressure, type 2 diabetes all the time. And I didn't like that. And at that time, my husband, he suffered from high blood pressure and he was in and out of the hospital. And that kind of sparked an interest in nursing for me. I went to nursing school late. I got my degree in nursing. I went straight out of my associate's degree and went straight back to school that summer and got my BSN, and that was in 2000. I've been a nurse for 15 years, which seems like a long time.
[00:04:22] Speaker A: Well, as you were transcribing those reports, those medical records, it's like you were taking on all that information.
[00:04:30] Speaker B: Yeah. So it helped me, it actually helped me in nursing school with the terminology especially, like I was already familiar with the medical terminology. So that was not foreign to me when I started nursing school. But I got feel old and intimidated because in my class, I mean, I was 30 something, but I felt old compared to like all the other nursing students that were in there straight out of high school, 18, 19, and in their 20s. But I hung in there and I got my degree and I went on, you know, so, yes, so that was the start of my nursing career. I went to Northwest in Senatobia, shout out to the Northwest Rangers. I think that is a great, great nursing program. So if any upcoming nurses need a nursing school to go to, it's in Senatobia, Mississippi. And it is a great, great nursing program to go to.
[00:05:21] Speaker A: Awesome. Awesome. So what are some of the challenges you face during your nursing journey?
[00:05:27] Speaker B: So in all of the 15 years of my nursing journey, I have done a lot of nursing. Okay.
When I first graduated, of course, you know, they say, go to med surg. I don't know if they still tell nurses that now, but back then it was like, you go to med surg, get your experience, and then you can move on to other things. So that's what I did when I, when I Was in nursing school.
I interned at the hospital that I got my first job at because they were taking turns. So I just transitioned from intern to nurse and that was on the med surg floor. We had 8 to 1 nurse patient ratios, which is what's a lot. And it's still a lot. But yeah, I did it. I did that for a year and then I was out of there. Okay, yeah, I was out of there. And I went on to do home care. I went, I did home care nursing, which was really, really good for me at the time because it was very autonomous, very flexible. I saw my patients in the morning and the rest of the day, I had the rest of the day to do whatever. So did that and for about a year and a half and then just, you know how you have friends in nursing and they was like, you should come and try this. And I wasn't even looking for another job because I was very content doing home care because I was out there doing my thing and making my day done by 12 or 1 o'clock, you know, go shopping. And I was so content. And one of my nurse friends like, you should come back to the hospital. I'm like, I'm not coming back to the hospital because I'm not doing, I don't want to do bedside. Yeah, but it wasn't a bedside job. It was a rounding nurse job. So just rounding for the internal medicine doctors. And so I went back to the hospital, did that for a while, then I went back to med surg. So I've been, I've done med surg, I've done home care, I've done case management, I have done, I've been a clinic nurse, a radiology nurse. And now in my present job I'm a heart failure coordinator. So I don't, I don't do bedside. I do work Monday through Friday, no weekends, no holidays. And it's the best nursing gig I have ever had and I feel like I deserved it because I've done, I've done little of everything of source come to nursing. So that's where I am now.
[00:07:53] Speaker A: That is awesome. And even with heart failure, I think just watching patients with heart failure, it's eye opening itself. The importance of our health and wellness and the health of our bodies. How long have you been in that role?
[00:08:08] Speaker B: Just recently in April. April 1, April Fool's Day was what was my first day as a heart failure nurse, heart failure coordinator. And one thing I do want to say is that during my nursing career, probably I'm going to say five Years in, I did not want to do bedside anymore. And one of the things that I struggled with was trying to find the nursing position that I was happy with. Like, that I was content with, happy with, but I knew it wasn't bedside, but I struggled because you know how some people, some nurses look at you like you don't want to be bedside, so you're not a real nurse type of deal, you know? And I'm like, bedside is just not for me. I embraced it because I had to. And I learned a whole lot, don't get me wrong. And I don't knock any nurse that has been bedside because somebody has to do it right. But that somebody just was not me. And I did feel some type of way when I finally decided I didn't want to do bedside, but I got over it. But I did initially felt like I was going to be looked at. If you're a nurse and you don't want to take care of patients. But I still take care of patients, just in a different capacity.
[00:09:23] Speaker A: Yes. That's good. I'm glad you brought that up, Dee, because that is so true. So true. And even in my role as a staff development specialist, you know, I do. I miss the bedside because I just love talking to patients. That's it. I love talking to patients. They tell me now, you should come help out. And I'm like, girl, y'all can be like, no, Chanel, go back to where you came from. All help ain't good help sometimes. And so. But with that, you are so right. And I used to be. To be a part of that. Like, bedside is the way to go. This and other. But in nursing, in healthcare, there are so many other different roles that need to be done as well.
[00:10:02] Speaker B: Right, Right.
[00:10:03] Speaker A: If we're stuck at the bedside, who's going to do sight?
[00:10:06] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:10:07] Speaker A: You know, if we're stuck at the bedside, who's going to do community health?
[00:10:11] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:10:12] Speaker A: And I think a lot. If we could get a lot of nurses to do community health, maybe we can prevent a lot of the patients that we see in patients.
And so I commend you for even saying that and shedding light on that. Thank you.
So did you change the narrative when it comes to being a nurse? Older nursing students. So I have to ask for my listeners who are aspiring to become nurses or my nursing students who are going back into school, or this is a. Another career for them in their 30s and 40s and 50s, could you give them, and what motivated you along the way, something that you can share with them?
[00:10:56] Speaker B: So first of all, don't ever think that it's too late to go back to school. It's never too late. Actually, in my nursing class that was a 72 or 73 year old person in nursing school.
[00:11:11] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:11:12] Speaker B: Yes. So it is never too late. Once you put your mind to do something, just do it. Don't be intimidated. I feel like us being older, we have more experience, we're more disciplined being an older student. Well, that's my opinion. You should be more disciplined as an older student. But yeah, it's never too late. Don't get discouraged, just do it. You can fall in there just like they can and you can learn. And for me, I had to work full time going to school and most older adults, they have a job and I had to maintain that by just being focused, not saying it's going to be easy because it was not easy. I had to still work full time and go to school full time. I did not go part time. But priorities, it's all about priorities. And I got in there, went to school during the day and then I studied at night. You have to make some sacrifices and what's important to you, you're going to make a way and find a way to do it. So don't let that age. Because you can see, I mean, age is only a number.
[00:12:14] Speaker A: Come on.
[00:12:15] Speaker B: And age is only a number. And you're only limited about what you can do by yourself. If you say you can do it, you can. If you say you can't, you can't. It's power in words. So you just have to go ahead and take that step and just do it.
[00:12:30] Speaker A: Yes. Now for my audio listeners, when she, when Dee says, as you can see, age is nothing but a number, I just want to stress Dee is fine. Thank you for 50.
[00:12:40] Speaker B: I'm just saying I just turned 51.
[00:12:43] Speaker A: Yes. Happy belated birthday.
[00:12:45] Speaker B: Thank you so much.
[00:12:46] Speaker A: But Dee, you looking really good. Thank you for 51.
[00:12:50] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:12:50] Speaker A: So for those that's just listening in, I have to say that, I have to say that because you can't see.
[00:12:55] Speaker B: You know, but if they follow me, they can come check me out.
[00:13:00] Speaker A: So stay tuned to the end of the episode.
Thank you, Dee. That was some awesome advice, especially for my older nursing students. Thank you so much. Because you're able to give voice to that now, diving into patient perspective, what insights have you gained about healthcare?
[00:13:21] Speaker B: So one of the insights that I've gained throughout my career is that healthcare is a team effort. It involves everybody in the healthcare team. You know, you have your nurses, you have your physicians, you have your physical therapists, you have your lab people. We all work together as a team in healthcare and trying to get like the best patient outcomes. It's not just a one person job, you know, and I think a lot of people think that it's just the nurses. And just as a side note, I'm going to speak up, I'm going to advocate for the nurses. Like a lot of the things, a lot of the reasons I believe that nurses get burnt out is because, you know, well, the nurse can do it, you know, the nurse can do it.
And that's just something that they're going to have to work on, I think, because we have a lot of responsibility because we are at the bedside, we do see the patient the most. We're in there all the time, you know, even when it's not like our responsibility. The patient is going to call, they're going to ask for the nurse.
[00:14:25] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:14:27] Speaker B: Yes. They're going to ask for the therapist, they're not going to ask for the manager, they're going to ask for the nurse. Where my nurse at?
[00:14:34] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:14:35] Speaker B: So, yeah. So I just want to be mindful and let everybody know that it is a team effort. It's not just the nurse job to do everything. It is a team effort to help the patient have the best outcome. And that's one of the biggest insights and also another one is that there are so many healthcare disparities, Disparities with access to healthcare. For people. In my field of being the heart failure navigator, one of my jobs is to help cut down the readmissions for patients that have heart failure, especially in the area that we live in, that I live in. There are a lot of patients, you know, that have heart failure. And one of the key things is your diet and being active. Okay.
And that is, that's a big thing for like readmissions in the hospital. So I have to make sure that I'm educating my patient and I'm going, I'm veering off a little bit, but I have to make sure that I'm educating my patients on their diet, making sure that they're moving, you know, along with taking their medications, going to their doctor's appointments and that sort of thing. Yeah. But yeah, the disparities, yes, with my healthcare, with my heart failure patients, a lot of them are uninsured. Some of them don't have transportation either. They can't get their medicines. And so we have to work on that. Like, that's very insightful for me. Being a heart failure navigator because I'm trying to cut down on the readmissions and if that patient doesn't have access to get their meds, what's going to happen? They're going to come back to the hospital.
[00:16:12] Speaker A: Yeah, it's like a revolving door.
[00:16:14] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. So I have to advocate, have to work with the case managers, social workers, that sort of thing to make sure that they at least can get 30 days. Because some of the heart failure medications, you can get like a 30 day free supply of it. So I have to make sure that they are aware of that and that they can get that before they leave. Now after the 30 days, they still may come back, but at least that won't be like a 30 day readmit.
[00:16:40] Speaker A: Gotcha. That's awesome. And you make me think about even just bedside nursing, the importance of educating the patients. And I know, you know, we want to say, well, don't nobody got time for that. Right. Especially talking about eight patients. So a nurse.
But if you're walking into a person's room, introducing yourself, explaining why you're there and what medications you have, those should be simple ways of explaining to the patient why they're taking this medication, why they're on a low sodium diet. Right. Why their food intake is important. And so I think it's not that we're doing any extra work, it's just being optimal in the work that we're already doing.
[00:17:23] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:17:23] Speaker A: At the bedside.
[00:17:24] Speaker B: Yeah. And that, that made me remember when I was at the bedside, when I was educating my patients, I wanted to be a role model for me. Now for me, if I am educating you on what you should be eating, what you should not be eating, you know, you should be moving your body. And if I'm not doing it and I'm trying to tell you to do it, like to me, in my mind personally, like I felt like that was conflicting.
[00:17:51] Speaker A: That's true.
[00:17:52] Speaker B: If I'm walking in there and I'm out of shape, can't even, I'm out of breath when I'm trying to talk to you about, about being healthier and you don't have to take this medicine if you work out like that is so. That is so factual. Especially with high blood pressure medication. And that's a whole nother story we can talk about later. But hypertension can be reversed if you changed your lifestyle. You know, and a lot of us in particular, we want quick fixes and we want to take a pill for everything. But like if you change your diet, just tweak it and just move. You possibly can get off of this blood pressure medicine and your type 2 diabetes medicine, you know, but that's a whole nother conversation.
[00:18:35] Speaker A: Yes. And that's what we have to say. Prevention is key.
[00:18:38] Speaker B: Yes. Yeah.
[00:18:39] Speaker A: Prevention is key. And it's like we have these bad habits that we. We don't want to have the discipline, and then we end up with the chronic illnesses or chronic inflammation. And it's like, y'all. It's all preventable. It's all preventable. And I'm talking to myself here. When I knew I was going to interview you, I was like, I gotta do. Right. I got a bottle of water right now. I'm just saying.
[00:19:00] Speaker B: Yay.
[00:19:01] Speaker A: But I'd rather have a Sprite. I'm just being honest. No. In order to get to where we're going later in life, or we have to be mindful of our body now.
[00:19:10] Speaker B: Yes. Yeah.
[00:19:11] Speaker A: Diving into educational insights. Tell us more about your role as a fitness influencer.
[00:19:17] Speaker B: Okay. So as I said earlier, when I turned 40, the light bulb went off that I was getting older. And I thought 40 was like, I was getting old. I was like, girl, you getting old, man. So I started working out and just not being consistent. I would start out like everybody else. You start out and then you fall off the. Off the train, and then you get back on. And so that went on, you know, for a few years. And then when I moved out of Coldwater and I moved to South Haven, there was this gym that was opening, and I went to the gym. I was like, I'm finna start. I think it was like, first of the year, you know, new new year, new me. The gym was opening. I'm like, I'm going, I'm gonna get me a trainer. And. Cause I wasn't a gym workout person. I wasn't a gym girl at that time. I was working, doing home workouts, which I still love doing home workouts. But I got my trainer and started just posting my content. Being in the gym for the first time and working out, and. And so that I had my trainer for three months, and I just took to it. I took to the gym. I love the gym. It was something about in that gym and the machines clicking and clacking and stuff, and you just feel empowered. For me, I was just empowered by that. And so I was posting my content just as inspirational, just showing my journey, and I kept it up. I've been consistent since 2018. That's when I went to the gym in 2018, when I got My trainer in the gym. And ever since then it's been on and I just started posting my content. Years went by and people were asking me, did you train? Are you a trainer? And I'm like, no, I'm just posting my journey. I'm just posting my. So people started asking me for advice and that sort of thing. And just recently, last year, I decided to get certified. So I am a certified personal trainer, I'm a certified nutritionist, and I'm a certified fitness coach.
[00:21:14] Speaker A: Yeah, so.
[00:21:16] Speaker B: So I'm certified in all of those areas. And I started training people, I started coaching people and it just went from there. Right now I just don't have the. The time to do it. I'm not taking clients, but I still provide education for free. All on my social media. And people still ask me to train, but I'm like, I'm not taking clients, but feel free to follow me because I still give plenty of free tips, advice and everything. That's really how my influencer fitness influencer career, or whatever you want to call it started. Just me posting my journey and people started following me and it just said what it was.
[00:21:56] Speaker A: Gotcha. Gotcha. So with that, how do you balance your demanding nursing career with your fitness routine?
[00:22:05] Speaker B: So it's very fluid because I do work, as I said, I work Monday through Friday and I'm a morning workout person at heart. Okay, gotcha. And I love working out in the mornings, getting my workout over with the adrenaline's pumping, I'm starting my day. That's ideal for me, but it doesn't always work out like that. So I have to adjust. Even though I know my sets schedule is Monday through Friday, I can get off at different times and I work different times. So depending on the day, just say, for instance, tomorrow's Monday. I plan. Let me say that for first and foremost, you have. If you're going to be on a fitness journey and you work full time, you're going to have to plan. You have to plan. Okay. You have to plan. I can't stress that enough. So I plan my week ahead. On Sundays, I'm going to sit down. I do have a planner somewhere right here. This is my planner and I am going to write down, like, what I'm going to do for the week. So I know about what time I'm going to go to work tomorrow. So Mondays pretty much I'm going to work out probably in the evening.
[00:23:13] Speaker A: Gotcha.
[00:23:14] Speaker B: So you just have to plan and then adjust accordingly. Okay. But you got to have in your mind that this is what you're going to do, you know, because just because I am a morning workout person, I prefer it. It doesn't always work out that way, but I'm going to get it in, you know, because, because that's important to me and because I prioritize that I'm going to work out. So that's how I manage it. I plan. The short of it is that I plan.
[00:23:42] Speaker A: Got you. You took the second question right out my mouth. What tips do you have for other nurses who want to incorporate fitness into their busy schedules?
[00:23:52] Speaker B: Yeah, the.
[00:23:53] Speaker A: Like you said, planning. So I need to start planning accordingly.
[00:23:57] Speaker B: Yes. You can't, you can't fly by the seat of your pants when you're trying to fit a workout. And it doesn't have to be a long workout. A lot of people have this misconception, I got to be in the gym for an hour, two hours or one hour. It does not take that 30 minutes, 20 to 30 minutes. Especially for busy women like ourselves, that will suffice. You know, even three, three days a week will suffice if you, if you got the right workout in there. You know what I'm saying?
[00:24:26] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:24:27] Speaker B: I can't work out a whole hour after work. That's just not what I'm gonna do. But just say for the weekends, like Saturday, Sunday, I went to the gym and I worked out like an hour and a half. That's because I didn't have to go to work. You know what I mean? So I can put forth that extra time into working out on the weekends because I don't work those days. So for the nurses that work their three 12s, what are you doing those other four days? Yeah, you don't have to work out even. I'm gonna tell you, even when I was bedside and I was working my three twelves, you know, 787p. How about I was getting up at three and working out before I did my 12 hour shift and went to work. Okay. I am a morning person. I'm more productive in the mornings. So mornings are my jam. And even now just say, I'm not going to work out in the morning. I'm still going to get up because I like to get up. I like to have my quiet time, I like to journal and that sort of thing. So I'm going to do that before I go to work. Even though I don't get, I'm not going to get up and work out. I'm still going to get up early.
[00:25:29] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:25:30] Speaker B: Yeah. So that's just Me, that's what I do. I plan. And then you just have to prioritize it.
[00:25:36] Speaker A: Yes. Now you made me think about something when I, I was the biggest I ever was coming through nursing school. And I think a lot of people can, can agree with this or have experienced this that we gain so much weight by snacking and studying and. Yeah, just the riff raff of nursing school itself. And so for me, cause I do wanna let other nurses know, other listeners know that I actually, when I, I worked night shift my first two years of nursing and so I started getting off of work seven in the morning and I would go straight to the gym and give myself, like you said, not a full hour, but I would give myself like 30 minutes. Like they had this 30 minute corner where you got on like different machines and in the middle it had like the cardio step up, step down max or whatever you call them. But I did that and that's how I got back in shape. See?
[00:26:30] Speaker B: Good job.
[00:26:31] Speaker A: Glory to God.
[00:26:32] Speaker B: Good job, Good job. Now I did start, I worked, I work night shifts too. When I first graduated and I used to, you know, I used to go to breakfast when I got up in the morning or I came home and I fixed breakfast and went to bed. So yeah, back then it was a struggle. I'm not going to lie. I keep it real. It was a struggle then, but you get through it.
[00:26:53] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. And it was a struggle. I remember going in for clinicals to do my pre work and there was a chocolate cake in the conference room in the evening and I was like, okay. You know, and I came back for clinicals, that cake was gone and I was like, they ate cake over the night. Like I could not believe. But then once I started working, I was like, oh yeah, we're like, what we eat tonight? Chinese pizza? Like what is it? So you definitely have to be intentional about you do eating well regardless of what shift you are, whether it's 7a to 7p or 7p to 7a. So I'm glad we got to talk about that. So who or what inspires you to stay fit and healthy? Is there anyone?
[00:27:40] Speaker B: Dee, I saw this question, I was like, who inspires me? I just really honestly, like, I hate to say that I'm my own motivation.
[00:27:49] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:27:50] Speaker B: But I really am. Yeah, I just feel like I am my own motivation, my own inspiration and also, you know, my patients. I'm going to say that because as I said before, I try and be a role model for my patients because a lot of times when I talk to them about their diet and staying away from the salt and making sure you move. And they always say, y'all young people. And I tell them, I'm not y'all young people. I'm not your 20 year old, I'm not your 30. I'm like 50. And they're so surprised. And I'm like, yeah, I try and eat right and I work out. So that was like, really so Tim. So I go into all of that because I feel like God put me in this particular position because health and fitness is what I do. And being a heart failure navigator, I teach the same stuff. It's the same thing. So I was like, that's why I'm so content with this particular career because it's all in line with what I do anyway. It's aligned, you know, so that's why I'm just so unfortunate because these types of positions only I feel like only God put me in this because it totally aligns with what I'm doing.
[00:29:05] Speaker A: Yes. Yes. That is just a blessing. Yes.
[00:29:09] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:29:09] Speaker A: So you're self motivated.
[00:29:11] Speaker B: Yeah, that's it.
[00:29:12] Speaker A: Self motivated.
[00:29:13] Speaker B: Yeah. That's a good. That's a good way to say it.
[00:29:15] Speaker A: Yes. Now with that, how do you stay motivated on days that you feel less energetic?
[00:29:22] Speaker B: Being an influencer, you have people watching you. Okay. And when somebody like just. I get DMs quite often saying, like, if I don't post and they be like, are you going to post today or did you work out today? Like, your videos are so inspirational. So that is part of my motivation as well. Let me add that because if I only just inspire one person.
[00:29:46] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:29:46] Speaker B: Out of all the followers I have and one person, DMs me and be like, you know, I love your videos. They're so inspirational. Or somebody comments under there, like, keep it going or things like that. That's motivation too. That is, yeah. So let me say that that is motivation as well, because that's why I do it is to inspire and to motivate people that not normally would be doing anything, you know, so.
[00:30:14] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:30:14] Speaker B: Yes, that's.
[00:30:15] Speaker A: Yes, that's good. Now, when we're talking about fitness, you know, we can't help but to talk about the role of nutrition.
How important is nutrition in your fitness regimen?
[00:30:28] Speaker B: It's very important. But I do tell people I'm not perfect by any means. And I pretty much eat what I want to eat. Okay. But I don't. I do. I practice mindful eating, which is I'm mindful of what goes in my body, you know, and because I'm not on a weight loss journey, I'm more of maintenance and not getting bigger, so.
[00:30:51] Speaker A: Gotcha.
[00:30:52] Speaker B: I'm very mindful of nutrition and I tell everybody I'm not going to ever probably have a six pack because I love to eat and I'm going to eat what I want to eat. But at the same time, I'm very mindful I'm not going to be eating cheeseburgers every day. I'm not going to be eating pizza. It's all about balance. And if I eat, just say if I eat some fried fish or something, then I know that next day I'm not going to eat like the same thing. I'm going to add more vegetables. I'm going to, I'm not going to just overindulge. And that's just my mindful eating. I'm very, I've been doing it for a while, so I kind of know like what, what I'm supposed to eat and what I'm not supposed to eat. But I do want to say, if you are on a weight loss journey, you do need to be kind of counting your calories, you need to be watching your fat and all of that. But for me, I just do mindful eating. But it's, you know, abs are made in the kitchen. I just told somebody that yesterday.
[00:31:48] Speaker A: Said like, abs are made in the kitchen.
[00:31:50] Speaker B: In the kitchen. Yes. It's your nutrition. You can work out, you can work out two, three hours a day, every day. But if you're in that kitchen eating cheeseburgers and pizza and all of these, all of this bread and stuff, you, you're still not going to have a six pack, if that's what your goal is. So you have to be mindful of what you're eating in the kitchen. And then the workouts will make them pop. You know what I'm saying? It'll get rid of that fat that's around. Because we all have abs. They just hitting up under that fat. They don't. We all have the six pack up under there is getting rid of the covering.
[00:32:25] Speaker A: Yes, yes.
[00:32:27] Speaker B: And that part is in the kitchen.
[00:32:29] Speaker A: Yes. And I remember a trainer telling me that about nutrition, how important it was. And he was saying he had a client who was in the gym, like you said, for hours, like in the gym putting in work. But then when they left, they would go by a restaurant and get a salad, like a grilled chicken salad with all the dressings. And they're thinking, I'm eating, I'm eating healthy. But yet this particular place, this salad, is not really.
[00:32:59] Speaker B: Right.
[00:33:00] Speaker A: Healthy version of a salad.
[00:33:03] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:33:03] Speaker A: And it was loaded with calories just from the dressing itself.
[00:33:07] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:33:08] Speaker A: It was mind blowing to know that somebody was wasting all that time in the gym and packing on just as many calories they were burning.
[00:33:17] Speaker B: Yeah, the calories you just burned, you just got them back from eating all this loaded salad. And people post salads all the time, like, oh, I'm eating healthy today. But you can't even see the greens of the salad for all the stuff on the top.
[00:33:30] Speaker A: I gotta have my eggs, Dee. I'm just saying, at least let me put eggs and a little cheese on the salad.
[00:33:35] Speaker B: Yeah, the eggs are good. The white, like, the white part is the protein. And with that being said, you know, I had to lay off my eggs recently because my cholesterol, I'm having to be more mindful of what I'm eating now because I'm working on my cholesterol. I was eating egg yolks, like boiled eggs, like every day. Like, I was eating bread for breakfast. Like boiled eggs was my staple. And so I still can eat them, but not so much the yolk. But I love eggs. I love, love eggs. They're a great source of protein, but you still have to be mindful of, if you have cholesterol issues, just take the yolk out or eat egg whites, because that's where the protein is in the white part.
[00:34:13] Speaker A: Egg whites.
[00:34:14] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.
[00:34:15] Speaker A: Yes. Speaking of nutrition, you have such a targeted audience on your platform that you target women 50 years and up or around that age. But I think that we all can glean from you, because I feel like I'm a younger version of yourself. Right?
[00:34:31] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:34:32] Speaker A: And so just I have an opportunity to start now and not wait till I'm 50 to say, hey, I want to get on this health kick. Be healthy today, just like we talked about. You do me. I watched one of your YouTube videos about, hey, let's start today. Let's not wait till January 1, let's actually start now for being healthy. And so with that, I always like to mention some information in regards to kind of the topic that we're talking about as far as like fitness with you and your target audience of 50 year olds and up or around the 50 year range.
[00:35:12] Speaker B: That's okay.
[00:35:12] Speaker A: Here I have some key topics about nutrition, fitness and wellness. With nutrition, I have that for fiber intake, women over 50 should aim for 21 grams of fiber per day. However, only about 5% of women consume their daily fiber, which can reduce Their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 20 to 30. 30%. So that shows how important fiber is in the woman's diet. Central nutrients are important for women over 50. They're central nutrients like vitamin D, calcium, vitamin B12, and omega 3 fatty acids and magnesium that women should take in. And then for fitness, I have that. Approximately 28% of US adults aged 50 and older are physically inactive.
So inactivity is 30% higher among those with chronic diseases. That just kind of goes back to how.
[00:36:09] Speaker B: Preventative prevention. Yes, prevention.
[00:36:13] Speaker A: How physical activity can actually prevent that. And then for exercise, it says that regular physical activity helps manage chronic health conditions. It reduces the risk of premature death and supports positive mental health.
[00:36:28] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.
[00:36:29] Speaker A: And that's one of my questions for you. How does mental health. How does physical activity affect your mental health?
[00:36:35] Speaker B: Yeah. So I tell everybody that. Ask me that question. Like, for me, working out is a stress reliever. When I'm having a rough day or something's going on, like, I get in that workout mode and you just sweat it all out. You take it out on the gym, you take it out on your workout.
[00:36:55] Speaker A: And it.
[00:36:56] Speaker B: Every time I leave there, it's like, I never regret working out and I zone out and I. Even if I think about what's going on, it helps me cope. Like, it's a coping mechanism for me. And for me, the working out part is more like mental. Feeling good. It's not all about the looks. The looks is gravy, but keeping it real. The workout part is really, for me, releasing stress. It's for like the endorphins. It's a feel good medicine. So it is really, really good for mental health. And I tell a lot of people, go work out when you having a rough day or go walk after work. Walking is really good. I'm not a walker, but I love the weight.
[00:37:39] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:37:39] Speaker B: But for people that like to walk, if it's safe in your neighborhood, go walk around the neighborhood, get that fresh air.
Yeah. But I think I want to walk because I'm getting this weighted vest.
[00:37:52] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:37:53] Speaker B: And I want to just walk in it just to see how it makes me feel and just to kind of step up my fitness game for a bit. Because January I am doing the. I'm not doing a new year, new me, but I'm adding some stuff because I do want to kind of lean out for the summer. That's when I start my lean out and I'm just going left field. But I start my lean out like in January for the summer, from probably October To December. It's kind of thick season, but yeah, Mental, Mental. Back to the mental. It's a really great stress reliever and it's good for your mental health as well.
[00:38:27] Speaker A: Okay, now, speaking of lean out, what advice do you have for just women in general? Women, your target audience, women in their 50s. Like, what would you like for them to take away from this episode? And what would you tell your younger self? For those of you, for those of us who have not reached 50 yet? Like, what do you want us to take away from this episode today?
[00:38:52] Speaker B: The first thing I want you to take away is just prioritize your health. And this is coming from being a nurse and just being a woman. We, we are especially women. We are pulled in so many directions. We have family, we have work, we have extracurricular kids. Like, we are pulled in so many directions, and we cannot pour from an empty cup. And if we're not filling our cup, then how can we be good to the other people in our lives? So I really believe in prioritizing your health first and foremost. So you can be the best version of yourself.
[00:39:30] Speaker A: Yeah, that's good. Thank you.
Can you share some of your favorite healthy meals or snacks that keep you energized throughout the day? That tastes good.
[00:39:41] Speaker B: Oh, first of all, I love to eat. I don't know if I said that before, but I'm going to eat. But I do eat pretty, pretty healthy. So my go to especially like meal prep, for the most part, I do. And my breakfast meal prep, it can also be if you have a sweet tooth. So yogurt. Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt and berries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries. And then I put granola on top of that so you can do that. And it's full of protein. It's very healthy, but it's very good. A lot of people don't do yogurt or they don't like it, you know, but if you add those, the fruit with it. And I do vanilla Greek yogurt. The vanilla flavor, not just the plain, because the plain can be a little tart.
[00:40:24] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah.
[00:40:25] Speaker B: So I do the vanilla Greek yogurt with some fruit. That's my go to. I also do snack on protein bars. They're a lifesaver. They're filling.
And any extra bit of protein that you can get in your diet is best.
Let me say this about protein, especially for us, too. Protein helps us with the building of the muscle mass. And one caveat I do want to say, like, when you are my age, our muscle Mass declines. So we want to make sure that we're adding protein to every meal. So protein, protein, protein. And then my go to meal is chicken. I eat lots of chicken. I eat lots of chicken. I have found so many different ways to prepare chicken. But for my meal prep, my go to is my chicken and potatoes. I just cube up my chicken and season it with all types of seasoning. And then I bake my. I cut up some potatoes and bake them. And then it's like a little casserole ish type of dish. And I put some cheese on top of it with some peppers. And then I may do a salad with that. So that. And it's really good. Yeah. So those are my go tos. My nuts, like almonds, walnuts, oatmeal is really good, quick for breakfast. And then my chicken and. Or. And then the fish. I do salmon, so salmon over rice. Salmon, yeah. And then green vegetable or salad like asparagus, broccoli. Those are my go tos and those are my favorites. So I kind of rotate those every week so I won't like burn out on them. And I rotate those dishes. And then in the summertime, like I do a lot of salads in the summer, I do the mason jar salad.
[00:42:05] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:42:05] Speaker B: Yeah. So you put your dressing at the bottom, which is mainly. I do like a vinaigrette at the bottom. And then you build the salad into the jar. You do your protein, like protein. I'll do chicken. And then you just build it, put your onions and things like that into the jar. And then you just have it for you. Just grab it and go something quick. Because I love quick things because we're busy, right. So we need some quick, nutritious things to just grab and go. So those are my grabbing goals.
[00:42:36] Speaker A: Now with the Mason jar, you said put the dressing at the bottom.
[00:42:39] Speaker B: Make sure you always. Yeah, always put the dressing at the bottom.
[00:42:42] Speaker A: Do you like the overnight oats?
[00:42:44] Speaker B: Yes, I've done. I've done the overnight oats. I do mostly the overnight oats during the wintertime.
[00:42:50] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:42:50] Speaker B: Yeah, but that's just my preference. People do them all throughout the year. But they're very, very nutritious, very filling for breakfast. And there are a lot of easy recipes you can do for overnight oats. You put the overnight oats in there. I do almond milk, the overnight oats. And then I add my chia seeds. And then depending on what I have at home, I may put some peaches in there just for sweetness and some walnut. Or it just depends. Like, I'VE you know, there's a variety of recipes for the overnight oats, but yeah, I do that.
[00:43:18] Speaker A: You get a little bougie with the peaches and the nut. You gonna have some cobbler now? Because I know I sprinkle a little.
[00:43:27] Speaker B: Cinnamon on there too, so. Yeah.
[00:43:29] Speaker A: Oh, now that, that sounds good.
[00:43:31] Speaker B: It is good. It is good. And sometimes I eat it cold, sometimes I warm it up in microwave. When I get to work, it just depends on how I'm feeling.
[00:43:38] Speaker A: Gotcha.
[00:43:39] Speaker B: But it's like I said, it's quick, easy, grab and go.
[00:43:43] Speaker A: Got you. Now, when it comes to all the essential nutrients that I mentioned, the vitamin D, the magnesium, the calcium, especially with women like premenopausal or postmenopausal women, what do you recommend for women to take in?
[00:43:59] Speaker B: So you're correct. The calcium, the magnesium and the vitamin D are the most important for women of my age group. Making sure you're getting enough. Because a lot of times women, melanated women, they're low in vitamin D, surprisingly. So make sure that you're adding that or you, you know, get out in the sun is a lot. What I like to do is just go out there and let it activate my vitamin D.
I'll take it. Yes. I love the sunshine, but yeah, the calcium, magnesium, vitamin D.
Yeah, that's it. And then again, protein. Making sure you're getting the protein in your diet for your muscles mass.
[00:44:35] Speaker A: So do you recommend supplements for those or just. Or base or mainly your nutrition?
[00:44:40] Speaker B: Well, it's best to get it through your food. Okay, but if you. I take lots of supplements, but it's best to get it through your food. I take vitamin. I take a multivitamin that has vitamin D in it. I also take collagen and I take. What else do I take? I take the black seed oil. Like a lot of those things contribute to your inside out. I take turmeric pills just for immunity because I do work in the hospital. And so it's very important to keep our immune system, you know, on tap, even though a lot of times we still get sick. But I try. I try.
[00:45:14] Speaker A: Yeah. At least you're setting yourself up to weather the sickness.
[00:45:19] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. And even if I get sick, it's not as bad as I feel like it could be if I'm not already got my immunity boosted, so.
[00:45:26] Speaker A: Right, right. Thank you for sharing that. And I must add a disclaimer for anyone listening. Be sure to follow up with your own provider.
[00:45:35] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:45:35] Speaker A: Your own specialist regarding your nutrition and your nutritional intake, your medications or any supplements that you're considering, because we have to be mindful that supplements sometimes interact with some medications. And so I do want to drop that little nugget in there.
[00:45:52] Speaker B: Yeah. And also too, not to cut you off, but also too, before you start, if you have never worked out before, you should also consult with your physician before you start any type of workout regimen because you want to be cleared by your doctor.
[00:46:06] Speaker A: Yes, that's good. That's good. And one thing you said earlier was start, not really start slow, but don't try to go hard. Don't try to go in for a whole hour, I think.
[00:46:16] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:46:17] Speaker A: And a lot of times when people start that, they quickly throw in the towel because now they're hurting and it's just too hard. No, we should start started with a 30 minute brisk walk or maybe a 10 or 15 minute walk. Sometimes I say, I got a strong five minutes for you.
[00:46:33] Speaker B: Yeah. And that's something that counts. Okay. That counts as well. Yeah. I'm glad you brought that up because when especially, you know, when January comes and the gym gets full, people in there be killing themselves in the gm and that's why come February, you don't see them again because they, they have killed themselves. Starting out, always, always start slow. Start slow and then work your way up. And one, one thing I do want to say so for if you're a beginner, start with three days. Don't be trying to go in there for five days and work out for an hour. Start three days a week, 30 minutes, 20 to 30 minutes. And if you are consistent with that for 21 days, that's what I say, for three weeks, then you move on to something else. But I like that consistency, that is so important. Consistency over intensity. Okay? Be consistent. If you can be consistent for three weeks, then you're on to something. Okay. So don't go in there trying to work out five days for an hour. Just start small three days a week and be consistent with that.
[00:47:39] Speaker A: Consistency over intensity.
[00:47:42] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:47:42] Speaker A: I love it. I love it. Thank you. Is there anything else that you would like to add to this conversation, Dee, before we close out?
[00:47:53] Speaker B: See if I have someone found. No, I think I covered everything.
[00:47:56] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:47:57] Speaker B: Yeah. Just taking care of yourself. You know, like I said, I can harp on that for a minute. You know, just making yourself a priority because we as women fail to do that a lot and we have to make ourselves a priority so we can just be the best version of ourselves and prioritize rest as well. And I think I just did a YouTube on rest and recovery. But we, we need to make sure that we are resting because of, you know, we are so busy and people glorify being so busy and hustling and doing all of this. But we have to prioritize being restful as well. If you meditate, if you meditate, meditate, you know, take your time to have your little devotion in the morning and just set yourself up for a great day. You know, things are not going to be a hundred. It's not going to be peaches and cream, but at least you have set the tone.
[00:48:51] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:48:52] Speaker B: For your day. So I just believe in that.
[00:48:55] Speaker A: Yes. Thank you. Now, speaking of YouTube, how can our listeners connect with you and what. What are some things that you may have coming up for the new year?
[00:49:05] Speaker B: Okay, so you can connect with me on all of my social platforms. I am on Facebook as D. Kinda Fit Nurse and also D. Dandridge. That's my, like, personal Facebook page. But I still post, you know, health and fitness things. Instagram, dkindafit nurse on Instagram, TikTok. Dkindafit nurse on TikTok. Also YouTube. Dkinda fit nurse on YouTube. And on YouTube, I'm actually doing a series of Glow and thrive for 2020 25, which is getting you ready for 2025. I'm giving you all types of health tips, fitness tip, mindset shifts, like getting you so ready to Glow and thrive for 2025. So you can be the best version of yourself in 2025. So, yeah, check me out there.
[00:49:55] Speaker A: Yes. Thank you so much. That's good. And I love how you said getting ready. Get ready.
[00:50:01] Speaker B: Yeah. Start now. Start now. Start right now. Because you might not be here tomorrow. You might not make it to 2025. I mean, you know, I hope you do, and I hope we all do, but, you know, start right now. At least you'll be ready. At least you'll be ready. Don't be waiting around. What we gonna wait for? We are here right now.
[00:50:20] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:50:20] Speaker B: Okay. We're here now. So start now. Don't be waiting. Because you keep on waiting. That day may never come. You ain't gonna never be ready. Start when you ain't ready. Okay. Yep.
[00:50:30] Speaker A: Girl. Yeah. So you about to come down our road again? Again? No. Thank you so much, Dee, for just getting on here and sharing your wealth of knowledge, just your experience.
[00:50:44] Speaker B: Thank you for having me.
[00:50:45] Speaker A: Thank you.
[00:50:46] Speaker B: Thank you so much. Thank you.
[00:50:47] Speaker A: This has been very informative and valuable. Thank you for me as well as for my listeners. So as I wrap up the last episode of season one of the All One Nurse podcast, and we head into a new a new year into season two. Let's get in shape. Let's focus on consistency over intensity.
[00:51:17] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:51:18] Speaker A: And let's be our best self. And let's follow the cadaveit nurse on TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram. Whichever one is your jam, please go tune in. As for me, you can find me on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram at all1nurse. And on Instagram is actually all1nurse underscore Chanel. S H E N E L L. I have to spell my name because everybody wants to spell it like Coco Chanel. And coming up for season two of the All One Nurse podcast, have two upcoming guests. Leah Cambric, who is going to be talking about sexual assault and domestic violence because January is human trafficking awareness month, as well as stalking awareness. And then we'll have Tiffany Cannon Davis, who goes into her journey as a nurse who actually wears an lvad, a left ventricular assistive device, because she went into heart failure while in labor with her beautiful daughter. And it is such a compelling interview to listen to as well. We have so much to dive into, but thank you so much for just sticking with me on this journey of All One Nurse. Thank you, Dee, for being here and sharing your knowledge and sharing your expertise and your journey as a nurse, as a fitness influencer and knowing that we should be focused, focused on our health and wellness. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. As well as all my other guest speakers who have been on this platform, I just want to say thank you all as we close this season. One. Yes, thank you. Of the All One Nurse Podcast. Thank you so much indeed. Thank you again for being here.
[00:53:10] Speaker B: Thank you so much.
[00:53:11] Speaker A: Bye.
