The Grit & Grace Leadership Podcast

Enhance Clarity and Focus: Cold Immersion Therapy, Food, and Mood with Jen Richardson

• Jen Kelly • Season 2 • Episode 10

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Join us in a captivating conversation with Jen Richardson, holistic wellness expert and founder of Cold Community North and EatZen with Jen. In this episode, we dive deep into the transformative effects of nutrition and cold immersion therapy on mental clarity and mood. Discover the powerful link between your gut health and brain function, understand how your diet influences your emotional state, and learn how cold therapy can significantly boost your resilience and well-being.


Jen opens up about the often-overlooked state of being dysregulated—characterized by high anxiety, poor sleep, and emotional reactivity—and guides us through practical steps towards achieving a state of calm, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness.


Whether you're seeking to enhance your focus, improve your mental health, or explore innovative wellness practices, this episode offers enlightening insights and actionable tips. Embrace the journey towards a sharper, healthier you with small but impactful lifestyle changes.

Follow Jen Richardson:

  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatzenwithjen/
  • Website: https://www.eatzenwithjen.ca/



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Jen Kelly :

Today's conversation features Jen Richardson, founder of Cold Community North and Eat Zen with Jen.

Jen Richardson:

Dysregulated would seem high anxiety reaction, no sleep. And then, regulated, would feel how Calm, emotionally intelligent, you're not reacting. You're able to feel the feels without losing control.

Jen Kelly :

In this episode we'll explore the impact of nutrition and cold immersion therapy on our mood and mental clarity. We'll delve into the gut-brain connection, the food-mood connection, and Jen shares how cold therapy boosts resilience. Join us and discover how small changes can lead to profound improvements in focus and well-being. Let's dive in. Welcome to the podcast everyone. I am in studio with Jen Richardson. She is the founder of Eat Zen. With Jen, as well as the Cold Community North. She has done just a fantastic job building an incredible community. We're going to talk a lot about your business. You are a registered holistic nutritionist as well, so welcome to the podcast.

Jen Richardson:

Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here.

Jen Kelly :

Well, we are too. I have made a lot of changes in my life as it relates to diet, nutrition, wellness, and I believe that this is a really important topic for leaders. We need a lot of clarity, and so we have a lot to talk about. I want to kind of start with your journey on wellness. What were some defining moments as it relates to your wellness practice? Like, really what sparked you on this journey?

Jen Richardson:

The one thing would be my mom. She had a stroke and kind of was struggling with her mood. It affected her energy levels, hormones, and we weren't really getting any concrete answers from the doctors, and I was on my own wellness journey at the time, so I was learning more about holistic nutrition and the importance of food, not only physically but mentally. Yeah, I went back to school to become a holistic nutritionist and while I was there, my passion for mental health and food really grew, and that's where I fell in love with the nervous system and how we can support it through cold and through food.

Jen Kelly :

Well, let's just talk about mood and food. What are some things that you learned along the way that people might not have as much awareness around today as it relates to food and mood? So please kind of provide us some education here on how our food and our mood are correlated.

Jen Richardson:

So food and mood correlated? Definitely through the gut. A lot of people think that our neurotransmitters are only made in our brain, but they are not. They are made in our gut. That's why they refer to our gut as the second brain, right, yeah. So we see on TV a lot of stuff based around probiotics, which are very important, but I think we lack education in prebiotic and how to feed those probiotics and even to come back before that. If your gut is not balanced and you are giving it that good bacteria, it doesn't always mean a good thing. Our gut lining is permeable, so if it's keeping the supplements in our body, if it's keeping the nutrients in that we're getting from the kale and the leafy greens, like if our gut is not in a good place, then all of that really isn't going to do anything.

Jen Kelly :

I will just share my personal journey on this. So five years ago I was noticing a lot of inflammation. I'm an asthmatic, but I could see it in my eczema, I could see it in my skin. We sort of launched a journey of our own wellness and removed sugar, removed a lot of North American cheese, removed wheat. It was a slow process of taking it all out and then two years into that, we went fully plant-based eating. It changed everything for me, like my mental clarity changed, how I felt every day changed, and it was probably within a week and a half. I could feel the difference when you work with people. Is that sort of the results that you see people have?

Jen Richardson:

Yeah, Especially when people are willing to remove sugar. Yeah, because we know this can be very similar to an addiction. Right, it causes physical inflammation in the body, but I think a lot of people what they don't know is it causes neuroinflammation. You know, you get that dopamine hit, it becomes very similar to an addiction. So even if you started doing it for inflammation in the body or to help your gut or whatever it is, maybe it's eczema, something physical yeah, it's going to have such a positive effect on your mood, your sleep, your energy levels.

Jen Kelly :

Can we just talk a little bit about sleep? It has become a popular theme. Running through other shows the importance of sleep as it relates to our overall wellness. What is your perspective?

Jen Richardson:

on this. I know that we don't want to hear it, but like leaving our phone away from our our bed is like a huge one. So if you're getting into bed with your phone, I mean, it's not really going to work out. One thing that I think is very important with sleep when you're going to sleep a little bit earlier and you're waking a little bit earlier, then you can rise with the sun, and then you get that circadian rhythm and all that good stuff.

Jen Kelly :

Yeah, I wanted to shift gears and talk about cold immersion therapy that you do. How did this start? I watch you on social media and I'm just fascinated by this business. Can you share a little bit on how this all started?

Jen Richardson:

for you. I was new in my sobriety. I met a group of five or six people going into the lake and there was very new research not many studies, but on mood and, mostly important the dopamine boost 250% and I was like this is what I need as a recovering addict. We search for that dopamine. So I contacted this group and the first time I ever went into cold water was the middle of February. I had a guide, which I think is very important. She was literally picking up shards of ice, moving them aside as we were getting into Lake Ontario A very spiritual experience and I was hooked First time. First time hooked.

Jen Richardson:

And one thing I will say that's so important about the dopamine rush anything like sex, drugs, food, instagram, whatever we're doing to get that boost, there's a rise and then a fall and a big crash. When it comes to dopamine, with deliberate cold exposure, there is really no crash. Some of my clients will message me days later being like this is the best I've felt in years. So it is about putting ourselves in an uncomfortable situation to feel better for days after.

Jen Kelly :

What was that process like? So, once you did it for yourself, did you immediately think that you needed to create a business around this Like? What was that journey like?

Jen Richardson:

What happened was I got a tub at home and started videotaping myself and it kind of grew from there. People started asking can you cook, can you teach me how to do that? And then they wanted their own video. And then it kind of built and built and built and I was like I need more tubs, yeah. And then that's kind of how Cold Community North was built, and we don't only stay at Cold Community North, we're a mobile company as well, so we bring tubs and sauna.

Jen Kelly :

And your sauna is. Talk to me about this sauna because I've seen this on Instagram. How does your sauna work at events and things like this?

Jen Richardson:

So this is so cool. It's on a trailer, it's a 10 person sauna, wood burning, so we till the sauna and then in the back of the truck we have two to four tubs and, yeah, we're at like music festivals this year and it's very exciting.

Jen Kelly :

I feel like so much has changed in our understanding around cold therapy in the last four years. Was this roughly in that timeframe?

Jen Richardson:

Yeah, I'd say three and a half, four years ago. Yeah, what's some of the science that backs this? So at Cold Community North I pay more attention to the emotional side of it.

Jen Richardson:

So there is physical. Obviously. There is weight loss, inflammation, the cold shock protein. So when you are in the tub and you find your shiver, this is when cold shock proteins are being sent through your liver. So any free radicals, disease, bad cells, you're really detoxing. This is why, as cold plungers, we look for that safe shiver. So all of the goodness of physical, but the mental.

Jen Richardson:

When we get into the tub, the first 30 seconds we can lose our breath, but then what I coach is to extend the exhale, because this is when we're teaching our body to be safe. So we put ourselves in that deliberate stress. Cortisol is being produced at this time, so you're putting yourself in a stressful state and then, once you pass that 30 seconds, you can sit a bit deeper and this is when the dopamine, the norepinephrine, the motivation you're to do, and then, of course, like building resilience. So for me, with mood coaching or anything like that, building resilience is what we are trying to do here. So I don't really focus on, like the weight loss or anything like that. I focus more on becoming more resilient in life and being able to handle that stress. Moms, especially that I guide, are coming to me and saying my reaction time with the kids. I I'm able to deal with so much more on my plate because they know like I can do hard things through your journey of just beginning.

Jen Kelly :

You obviously had a guide on your first experience. Um what would you recommend for beginners today who are maybe listening to this and wanting to get started?

Jen Richardson:

I do think a guide is important, whether it's in the tub or in the lake, I do think it is important because safety and just having the knowledge behind it, but, most importantly, guiding your breath. At Cold Community North we do like a seven minute breath before we get in to help regulate the nervous system. It ends with fire breath. So the famous Wim Hof right. So we regulate the nervous system first and then I'm able to guide the breath while someone's in the tub. It can look different for everybody, but sometimes what I will suggest is a long, audible sigh as you sit, kind of screaming it out, and it tends to help a lot of people. So to have someone there guiding you, ensuring you're safe, letting you know that you can do this, like encouraging you, I think all of those things are important.

Jen Kelly :

How has entrepreneurship tested your wellness practices?

Jen Richardson:

Well, A with being busy. Yeah, just remembering yourself. And I think as an entrepreneur, we are like we have to take anything and everything that's coming, and I've had those days where I've been out in cold community north. I come home from the gym, I don't eat and all of a sudden it's 8 pm. We really have to remember that we can't serve others without serving ourselves first, and I learned that very quickly.

Jen Richardson:

I think another thing that I would say to entrepreneurs is you know, I started off food and mood. I did my bowls and at the end there I knew that the next step was coming for me, but I had a hard time letting go because I thought what are other people going to think? Are they going to think I failed at this? Are they going to think when my bull company was so successful, I was just building all these stories of what other people were going to think? So to entrepreneurs I would say just do it.

Jen Richardson:

Everyone is just involved in their own life. They have their own worries. No one's really thinking as much as you think they are, you know. And to follow your heart, because if your passion is not in it, people can see it. Yeah, right, like I remember thinking but it's my, it's my company switching to cold now Like, but people saw it in me, like we cry in the tub, we scream in the tub, we are authentic selves and people see that and they leave feeling that way and that's why they come back. Anybody could sit in their tub at home, but it's the experience that you get at cold community North that makes it different. It's the healing in community.

Jen Kelly :

It seems like this has unfolded for you very naturally, but what would be some tips in the mix here, because you've built a wonderful community? Thank you so much. How did you go about doing?

Jen Richardson:

this. Yeah, I think it happened quite naturally when people were coming and taping their own videos and it was getting out to their community. So the importance of social media is there. But then in hosting these events where maybe you are shy or you're not comfortable in a group or you don't really think that you're going to share your story, when these women come together, one person has the courage to share. It's like spreads like wildfire. Now everybody's sharing and you're realizing that you're not alone. Building a authentic, raw, safe space was really big for me. People knew that they could come and be themselves.

Jen Kelly :

What do you think the biggest beginning of that education lies? When people come into you, is it the self-regulation of their nervous system, like what's the top problem that you see most common?

Jen Richardson:

Nobody notices how dysregulated they are.

Jen Kelly :

Yeah, and I wanted to talk a little bit about this because I don't think this is commonly understood right now.

Jen Richardson:

Dysregulated would seem. High anxiety reaction, no sleep, running on coffee, and I know that that's sounding so familiar to a lot of people.

Jen Kelly :

Yes, I think that so many people live there and then regulate. It would feel how.

Jen Richardson:

Calm, emotionally intelligent, like you're not reacting, you're taking time to sit with whatever emotion will come up. No anxiety, able to feel the feels without losing control.

Jen Kelly :

If I want to live in that other space a little bit more often. What are the tips to begin that journey?

Jen Richardson:

I have reminders on my phone, a little timer kind of that will go off, and a list of things that regulate my nervous system, whether it's petting my dogs, doing just a sequence of breath Like breath. Work does not have to be 50 minutes in a classroom. It can be like a box breath for 50 seconds. It will really regulate the nervous system. Again, hugging your child, taking a moment with your husband, whatever it is just that like where your body feels safe?

Jen Kelly :

How many times a day should somebody be doing this self-checking and like is this like a morning, afternoon kind of thing?

Jen Richardson:

I think like not making it um, such a task, yeah, and having a little bit of balance. But yeah, maybe once in the morning, once in the afternoon, once in the evening, something like that, or even if that sounds too overwhelming, um, on the weekend, setting like time blocking, like this is my time and I will not give over to it. Yeah, this is a perfect example. When I go and walk the dogs, I was always like I need to have it stack, I need to listen to the podcast while I'm walking the dogs. Well, I'm like, okay, have it stacked.

Jen Kelly :

Hold on here. That's a line for all of us.

Jen Richardson:

Yes, right, so like just try and go outside and walk and not listen to anything, yeah, and be present, right.

Jen Kelly :

To me, the signal is like am I allowing the moment to almost enter into my presence, my consciousness, and am I enjoying and creating and dancing with that moment? Um, how do you see the showing?

Jen Richardson:

up for men being in the holistic space. I do see it, uh, being harder for men, yeah, but with that said, you are seeing more like men's groups giving that alpha the moment to express or cry, where they can kind of lean a little bit more into their feminine. I think for women, when we're in that situation we're we're more like oh thank God, I'm here, I can do this now, we're ready.

Jen Kelly :

Yeah.

Jen Richardson:

Men I think need a little bit more of. We need to offer them the space and let them know that it's okay.

Jen Kelly :

As you've been building this venture over the last six years, what has it taught you the most?

Jen Richardson:

You might as well just be the best version of yourself, because there's always going to be someone more successful, stronger, younger. So the comparison games just have to go yeah, and also realizing that, like you're human, okay, so a comparison comes, let that thought come, recognize it and then let it go.

Jen Kelly :

We have to rethink how we self-care, how we navigate our everything, our diet, our moods and it can seem a little bit intimidating because the world is going holistic.

Jen Richardson:

I feel like it's making that shift.

Jen Kelly :

Yeah, and even if it's just like one day, we take one thing out of the diet. I'm pretty sure that if we tried to do that in our household, we needed the gradual evolution of it, because you shock the system too much if you do everything all at once right, Then you'll end up could end up failing, yeah. We covered a lot of grounds between nutrition and cold therapy. The community, the great work you've done and this entire venture for six years like what?

Jen Richardson:

what a celebration to be in business for six years.

Jen Kelly :

So thank you for being on the podcast and thank you for sharing all of this insight with everyone. And again, my message to everyone listening is we cannot give what we do not have. We have to leave fully. We have to be taking care of ourselves and, you know, let us all aspire to go to the next level of our own possibility with these practices. So thank you for being on. Thank you so much, jen. Thank you for joining us. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn, where we transform the wisdom from our podcast into practical tips, tools and takeaways for your leadership journey. Find us at gritgracepodcast. See you next week.