The Innovative Therapist

Episode 54. This episode is truly one of my favorites. And that's saying something, because I am incredibly jazzed about each and every one of my guests, truly. In this episode of Motivation Made Easy, I got to talk with Dr. Yami Cazorla-Lancaster, DO, MPH, MS, FAAP. Interview Highlights and What to Expect: Answers to the questions that I've been asking myself on and off for the past year: can an Intuitive Eating approach truly jive with a vegan or plant-based lifestyle? How can you know if it's restrictive? Dr. Yami's take on food addiction, and I think you are going to be surprised and impressed with her answerThe sobering facts about the Standard American Diet and how you can use this information in an empowering and positive wayThe crucial common myths about dairy and animal protein you must understand (from a pediatrician with decades of experience, who also has family who were dairy farmers)What to make of information from other physicians who talk about things like "The Plant Paradox" and how to know who to trust? Her answer here was SO GOOD. Do not miss it.Tips to move towards adding in more whole plant foods and reducing ultra processed foods in your diet today, without being restrictive or it feeling like a diet Who Is Dr. Yami? Dr. Yami is a board-certified pediatrician, certified lifestyle medicine physician, certified health and wellness coach, author, and speaker. As a passionate promoter of healthy lifestyles, “Dr. Yami” champions the power of plant-based diets for the prevention of chronic disease. Dr. Yami is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. She also holds a certificate in plant-based nutrition and is a certified Food for Life Instructor.  In 2013, Dr. Yami founded VeggieFitKids.com to educate families about the importance of making healthy food choices and show them how easy it can be – even with today’s busy schedules. In her podcast, Veggie Doctor Radio, she explores diet and nutrition, healthy habit formation, behavior change, and motivation. New episodes are released weekly, featuring leading experts in plant-based nutrition and healthy living.  Dr. Yami’s pediatric micropractice, Nourish Wellness, is located in Yakima, Washington, where she lives with her husband and two sons. You can follow her on Instagram here. She has an incredible amount of free resources about practical ways to increase plant-based eating here. Want To Support Local Bookstores Near You? Buy your books from Bookshop! Support local bookstores near you and this blog and podcast and help prevent Amazon from completely squashing the local book market. Are You New Here? Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about. We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. We promote truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place. Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Easy Podcast here! Introduction: What is this podcast all about?Episode 1: Want to Get & Stay Motivated? A Crash Course on Motivation, Weight Loss, and HealthEpisode 2: How Dieting Steals Our MotivationEpisode 3: How To Get Motivated To Improve Your Health (Motivation 101)Episode 4: How to Transform Health Fears Into Forward Progress Do you ever worry that you are wasting your life? I definitely did. In fact, I wrote that in my journal many years ago when I was in the middle of the diet-binge roller coaster ride. I woke up every day thinking about food, my body,

Episode 53. Today I have the pleasure of talking with Stefanie Michele. We are coming in hot in 2022. Seriously. If you missed last week's episode with Dr. Alexis Conason, please go back and check it out. This week's one is also incredible, and frankly so is next week's. If you know me, you know I am not a social media fan. Perhaps because I am quite bad at it. Strong emotional writing isn't necessarily my strength. In fact, I have an incredible intern who is now officially a Psychology of Wellness team member who writes a lot of copy for me. I can write, but I have this tendency to focus on data and facts in a way that isn't always compelling. Well, I said it at the end of this interview and I'll say it here now, Stefanie Michele has a gift. She is able to break down concepts related to the experience of binge eating and the binge restrict cycle in a way that is unique and speaks to the very human and real experience of this shame filled cycle. It also struck me, somewhat while talking to her, that she is such a cool example of what I often talk about. That is, we need more women to get out of the ineffective dieting cycle asap so that they can show up in their lives in a courageous and connected way. Share their unique gifts with the world so we can start solving some of the world's very real and pressing problems. Stefanie has 25K+ followers on IG at the time of recording and you can find her at @Iamstefaniemichele. She offers great free insights into binge eating recovery on there. Think of the domino effect of one person getting out of the cycle, and how many more people that one person can impact. Interview Highlights and What to Expect Stefanie's journey of being in the binge-restrict cycle for 25 years, and how a moment in her kitchen helped her turn the corner towards true recoveryWhy years of treatment for an eating disorder didn't work for herThe 5 questions to ask yourself if you can relate to this statement, "I'm allowing all foods but I'm still bingeing, is this right?"What it means to "stay with your body" and how it can help youHow a creative outlet may help accelerate your recovery Who is Stefanie Michele? Stefanie is a coach and a writer, a wife and a friend and a mother, a reader, a thinker, a runner, and a chocolate-chip mint ice cream lover. But a little history: My disordered eating began when I was 15 years old dealing with adolescent strife and hormonal shifts. For the rest of my teens, 20’s, and well into my 30’s, I struggled with bulimia, binge-eating disorder, and orthorexia. The binge-restrict cycle was THE focus of my life for over 20 years and something from which I never, ever thought I would recover. I thought I was broken. Somehow during that time, I got married, had 3 girls, and led a pretty normal looking life. There were times I even felt normal — when I was with my friends, snuggling with my babies, or engrossed in a book. But most of the time, I felt ashamed, angry, and completely out of control. I hated my body and lived in fear of gaining weight. Just before my 40th birthday, I made the decision to challenge diet culture and enlisted the support of a coach to work through my body image, which went hand in hand with food recovery. I did the work, and the work worked. When I tell you that I’m excited to help you, I freaking mean it. I have laid in bed for days, canceled plans, avoided mirrors, and detached from my authentic self just like you have, and I know there is a different way. You can change your life, and start changing the way women in this world are valued and seen. Want To Support Local Bookstores Near You? Buy your books from Bookshop! Support local bookstores near you and this blog and podcast and help prevent Amazon from completely squashing the local book market. Are You New Here? Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about.

Episode 52. Today I had the immense pleasure of talking with Dr. Alexis Conason! I feel like I sort of met a Health at Every Size® movement celeb, is anyone with me? Alexis Conason, PsyD, CEDS-S, is a clinical psychologist and eating disorder specialist in private practice in New York City. She is the founder of The Anti-Diet Plan, a weight-inclusive online mindful eating program. She was previously a research associate at the New York Nutrition Obesity Research Center in affiliation with Columbia University. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals, she is a frequent speaker at conferences, and she has been featured widely as an expert on the topics of mindful eating, body image, and diet culture in the media. You can find her on social media @theantidietplan.  A lifelong New Yorker, Conason lives in Manhattan with her husband and two daughters. She loves all things related to food including cooking, food shopping, watching food shows on TV, and of course eating! But most rewarding is helping her clients transform their relationship with food and experience the joys of eating. She is a fierce advocate for helping people recognize and question the societal norms that encourage their feeling not good enough about themselves so they can stop fixating on shrinking their bodies and reclaim the space that they deserve in the world.   Check out Dr. Conason's new book! The Diet Free Revolution Dr. Conason's website: https://drconason.com/ In this interview, we cover: Dr. Conason's personal history with the ineffective diet cycleDr. Conason's professional transition from obesity research to Health at Every Size® and mindful eating workWhy she chose to focus so much on mindfulness and mindful eating versus intuitive eatingHer thoughts on how weight inclusive work merges with the weight loss surgery worldHow we are doing as a field and where she's like to see it improveWays to incorporate mindfulness that are simple and easy Want To Support Local Bookstores Near You? Buy your books from Bookshop! Support local bookstores near you and this blog and podcast and help prevent Amazon from completely squashing the local book market. Are You New Here? Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about. We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. Truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place. Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Easy Podcast here! Introduction: What is this podcast all about?Episode 1: Want to Get & Stay Motivated? A Crash Course on Motivation, Weight Loss, and HealthEpisode 2: How Dieting Steals Our MotivationEpisode 3: How To Get Motivated To Improve Your Health (Motivation 101)Episode 4: How to Transform Health Fears Into Forward Progress Do you ever worry that you are wasting your life? I definitely did. In fact, I wrote that in my journal many years ago when I was in the middle of the diet-binge roller coaster ride. I woke up every day thinking about food, my body, and what I would eat that day to “be healthy”The notebooks I had filled with calories and points could fill up a spare bedroomSocial events and vacations immediately prompted the thought “they will notice I gained weight” or “I need to lose weight by then”Deep down I knew I wasn’t living life the way I wanted to, but I didn’t know how to pull myself out of it. If this is you, I want you to imagine what it would feel like to feel empowered in your body and proud of your choices on a consistent basis. I promise you,

Episode 51. Today is Part 2 of my conversation with my first ever second time guest! Annyck Besso's interview in Episode 16 on Health at Every Size remains one of the most downloaded episodes to date. In last week's interview, Annyck and I cover: Her experiences with her pregnancy (she is due in a month from the interview!) and a discussion about both of our experiences with miscarriage and how it relates to size privilegeWhat are eating disorders? What do they look like?How can you tell if you have an eating disorder versus just disordered eating?What should you do if you think you have an eating disorder? In Part 2 of this two part series, we cover: How to create a health promoting home environment for parents, partners, and kids and why it's simpler than we often make itSports Nutrition 101: Relative Energy Deficiency in sport, what is it and what is the impact on mental health, physical health and performance? Want To Support Local Bookstores Near You? Buy your books from Bookshop! Support local bookstores near you and this blog and podcast and help prevent Amazon from completely squashing the local book market. Are You New Here? Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about. We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. Truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place. Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Easy Podcast here! Introduction: What is this podcast all about?Episode 1: Want to Get & Stay Motivated? A Crash Course on Motivation, Weight Loss, and HealthEpisode 2: How Dieting Steals Our MotivationEpisode 3: How To Get Motivated To Improve Your Health (Motivation 101)Episode 4: How to Transform Health Fears Into Forward Progress Do you ever worry that you are wasting your life? I definitely did. In fact, I wrote that in my journal many years ago when I was in the middle of the diet-binge roller coaster ride. I woke up every day thinking about food, my body, and what I would eat that day to “be healthy”The notebooks I had filled with calories and points could fill up a spare bedroomSocial events and vacations immediately prompted the thought “they will notice I gained weight” or “I need to lose weight by then”Deep down I knew I wasn’t living life the way I wanted to, but I didn’t know how to pull myself out of it. If this is you, I want you to imagine what it would feel like to feel empowered in your body and proud of your choices on a consistent basis. I promise you, it isn’t too late. Dieting steals our motivation. It makes us ineffective. It keeps us spinning our wheels in a system that was never built to work. If you are ready take the first step to motivating yourself with what matters to you, download my free Create Powerful Motivation guide (which is quite beautifully designed if I do say so myself), and walk through the 3 simple steps to create motivation that works for YOU in 15 minutes or less. You will get a simple formula to write ONE SENTENCE you can use to motivate yourself on a daily basis. You can write it on your bathroom mirror, put on the background of your phone, or just read it and repeat it in your mind. Look, I know how much it hurts to live a life worrying you are missing out, not stepping into the person you were truly meant to be, vibrant, passionate, curious, vulnerable, and brave. You can listen to the podcast all day, but taking that first step, putting pen the paper (or typing on your phone) is required for true lasing change.

Episode 50. Today I bring back my first ever second time guest! Annyck Besso's interview in Episode 16 on Health at Every Size remains one of the most downloaded episodes to date. Annyck is a Registered Dietitian and the Founder of Sööma, a private practice that specializes in the treatment of eating disorders and sports nutrition located in Montreal, Canada, but serving clients in the United States virtually. Annyck has developed an expertise in the treatment of eating disorders in both private and academic medical center settings. After completing a Bachelors in nutrition and dietetics, Annyck received her Masters in dietetics at McGill University.  Annyck recently moved back to Canada after practicing at Mind Body Health in Washington, DC for the past three years. During her time there, Annyck worked in private practice and collaborated closely with medical doctors and mental health professionals. She also developed and directed a day program where people of all ages were admitted and treated 20h per week. In this interview, Annyck and I cover: Her experiences with her pregnancy (she is due in a month from the interview!) and a discussion about both of our experiences with miscarriage and how it relates to size privilegeWhat are eating disorders? What do they look like?How can you tell if you have an eating disorder versus just disordered eating?What should you do if you think you have an eating disorder? In Part 2 of this two part series (coming out next week!), we cover: How to create a health promoting home environment for parents, partners, and kids and why it's simpler than we often make itSports Nutrition 101: Relative Energy Deficiency in sport, what is it and what is the impact on mental health, physical health and performance? Want To Support Local Bookstores Near You? Buy your books from Bookshop! Support local bookstores near you and this blog and podcast and help prevent Amazon from completely squashing the local book market. Are You New Here? Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about. We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. Truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place. Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Easy Podcast here! Introduction: What is this podcast all about?Episode 1: Want to Get & Stay Motivated? A Crash Course on Motivation, Weight Loss, and HealthEpisode 2: How Dieting Steals Our MotivationEpisode 3: How To Get Motivated To Improve Your Health (Motivation 101)Episode 4: How to Transform Health Fears Into Forward Progress Do you ever worry that you are wasting your life? I definitely did. In fact, I wrote that in my journal many years ago when I was in the middle of the diet-binge roller coaster ride. I woke up every day thinking about food, my body, and what I would eat that day to “be healthy”The notebooks I had filled with calories and points could fill up a spare bedroomSocial events and vacations immediately prompted the thought “they will notice I gained weight” or “I need to lose weight by then”Deep down I knew I wasn’t living life the way I wanted to, but I didn’t know how to pull myself out of it. If this is you, I want you to imagine what it would feel like to feel empowered in your body and proud of your choices on a consistent basis. I promise you, it isn’t too late. Dieting steals our motivation. It makes us ineffective. It keeps us spinning our wheels in a system that was never built to work. If you are ready take the first step to motivating yourself wi...

Episode 49. I already slightly regret this topic. You see, I'm a people pleaser and I hate upsetting people. And yet, this is an important topic. One that needs to be discussed. And frankly, many people don't even know why food addiction is so controversial, or even the fact that it is. I believe this concept is at the center of some incredibly important issues. Namely, the fight against the weight loss and diet industry, as well as the fight against the food industry that markets highly processed and palatable foods. I see so much shaming of others within the field if people use terms like food addiction, and I find it incredibly unhelpful (well gosh, when is shame ever helpful?). So it's time to talk about these topics, go over where the disagreements are, and talk about some steps to move in a positive direction. Let's jump in! What I Cover In This Episode: Why is the concept of food addiction so controversial? A story about my own professional fears related to talking about food addiction in the health space3 crucial questions to ask yourself today about food addictionSuggestions for how to promote productive conversations about nuanced topics (Hint: Social media ain't involved) Are You New Here? Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about. We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. Truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place. Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Podcast here! Introduction: What is this podcast all about?Episode 1: Want to Get & Stay Motivated? A Crash Course on Motivation, Weight Loss, and HealthEpisode 2: How Dieting Steals Our MotivationEpisode 3: How To Get Motivated To Improve Your Health (Motivation 101)Episode 4: How to Transform Health Fears Into Forward Progress Do you ever worry that you are wasting your life? I definitely did. In fact, I wrote that in my journal many years ago when I was in the middle of the diet-binge roller coaster ride. I woke up every day thinking about food, my body, and what I would eat that day to “be healthy”The notebooks I had filled with calories and points could fill up a spare bedroomSocial events and vacations immediately prompted the thought “they will notice I gained weight” or “I need to lose weight by then”Deep down I knew I wasn’t living life the way I wanted to, but I didn’t know how to pull myself out of it. If this is you, I want you to imagine what it would feel like to feel empowered in your body and proud of your choices on a consistent basis. I promise you, it isn’t too late. Dieting steals our motivation. It makes us ineffective. It keeps us spinning our wheels in a system that was never built to work. If you are ready take the first step to motivating yourself with what matters to you, download my free Create Powerful Motivation guide (which is quite beautifully designed if I do say so myself), and walk through the 3 simple steps to create motivation that works for YOU in 15 minutes or less. You will get a simple formula to write ONE SENTENCE you can use to motivate yourself on a daily basis. You can write it on your bathroom mirror, put on the background of your phone, or just read it and repeat it in your mind. Look, I know how much it hurts to live a life worrying you are missing out, not stepping into the person you were truly meant to be, vibrant, passionate, curious, vulnerable, and brave. You can listen to the podcast all day, but taking that first step, putting pen the paper (or typing on your phone) is required for true lasin...

Episode 48. I'm super excited about this conversation today! One of my goals on this podcast is to bring on a variety of viewpoints, not just the exact same anti-diet message. I think it's essential we have conversations about what to do, versus just what not to do (not having diet mentality for example!). I also think we need to keep having productive conversations across a variety of disciplines and we talk about some really cool ones in this episode! I'm really grateful to Alyssa for coming on and sharing her expertise with us this week. Let's dive in! Dr. Vela is an Assistant Professor of Surgery and Psychiatry at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Vela earned a PhD in Health Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she studied culturally-adapted lifestyle interventions for women with disordered eating and diabetes. She completed her internship/residency in Health Psychology at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, and a fellowship in Clinical Health Psychology with an emphasis in medical education with the Michigan Center for Advanced Psychology Training in affiliation with Michigan State College of Human Medicine. She completed her board certification in lifestyle medicine in 2020. Alyssa’s main area of research and clinical interest is lifestyle interventions for cardiometabolic health and she has a strong passion for helping people change their lifestyles and health behaviors so they can live their best lives. She is also passionate about addressing health disparities, and providing culturally-sensitive care to all patients, and is actively involved in diversity, equity, and inclusion work and education at Northwestern. In this interview, we cover: What is health psychology/behavioral medicine?What is lifestyle medicine?What is nutritional psychiatry? What do we know about the impact of nutrition and it's impact on mental and emotional well-being? What the pros and cons are of thinking about food as medicine?What do we need to know about how research applies to diverse samples? Want To Support Local Bookstores Near You? Buy your books from Bookshop! Support local bookstores near you and this blog and podcast and help prevent Amazon from completely squashing the local book market. Are You New Here? Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about. We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. Truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place. Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Easy Podcast here! Introduction: What is this podcast all about?Episode 1: Want to Get & Stay Motivated? A Crash Course on Motivation, Weight Loss, and HealthEpisode 2: How Dieting Steals Our MotivationEpisode 3: How To Get Motivated To Improve Your Health (Motivation 101)Episode 4: How to Transform Health Fears Into Forward Progress Do you ever worry that you are wasting your life? I definitely did. In fact, I wrote that in my journal many years ago when I was in the middle of the diet-binge roller coaster ride. I woke up every day thinking about food, my body, and what I would eat that day to “be healthy”The notebooks I had filled with calories and points could fill up a spare bedroomSocial events and vacations immediately prompted the thought “they will notice I gained weight” or “I need to lose weight by then”Deep down I knew I wasn’t living life the way I wanted to, but I didn’t know how to pull myself out of it. If this is you, I want you to imagine what it would feel like to feel empowered ...

Episode 47. Hey everyone! This episode is going to give you one big take home message, and ideas for a few simple ways you can move towards what matters. Are you ready? Let's dive in! In this episode you will learn: The #1 factor that predicts long term changes (in behavior, and overall well-being)Stories about myself at age 18 when I first started therapy, and how I was a somewhat difficult therapy client, ha!Why I decided to change the support structure within The Body Respect ProgramSome ideas about what you can do today to improve your chances of long-term success Want To Support Local Bookstores Near You? Buy your books from Bookshop! Support local bookstores near you and this blog and podcast and help prevent Amazon from completely squashing the local book market. Are You New Here? Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about. We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. Truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place. Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Easy Podcast here! Introduction: What is this podcast all about?Episode 1: Want to Get & Stay Motivated? A Crash Course on Motivation, Weight Loss, and HealthEpisode 2: How Dieting Steals Our MotivationEpisode 3: How To Get Motivated To Improve Your Health (Motivation 101)Episode 4: How to Transform Health Fears Into Forward Progress Do you ever worry that you are wasting your life? I definitely did. In fact, I wrote that in my journal many years ago when I was in the middle of the diet-binge roller coaster ride. I woke up every day thinking about food, my body, and what I would eat that day to "be healthy"The notebooks I had filled with calories and points could fill up a spare bedroomSocial events and vacations immediately prompted the thought "they will notice I gained weight" or "I need to lose weight by then"Deep down I knew I wasn't living life the way I wanted to, but I didn't know how to pull myself out of it. If this is you, I want you to imagine what it would feel like to feel empowered in your body and proud of your choices on a consistent basis. I promise you, it isn't too late. Dieting steals our motivation. It makes us ineffective. It keeps us spinning our wheels in a system that was never built to work. If you are ready take the first step to motivating yourself with what matters to you, download my free Cultivate Powerful Motivation guide (which is quite beautifully designed if I do say so myself), and walk through the 3 simple steps to cultivate motivation that works for YOU in 15 minutes or less. You will get a simple formula to write ONE SENTENCE you can use to motivate yourself on a daily basis. You can write it on your bathroom mirror, put on the background of your phone, or just read it and repeat it in your mind. Look, I know how much it hurts to live a life worrying you are missing out, not stepping into the person you were truly meant to be, vibrant, passionate, curious, vulnerable, and brave. You can listen to the podcast all day, but taking that first step, putting pen the paper (or typing on your phone) is required for true change. It's time to start living my friend. It's 100% free, so what are you waiting for? Grab your free copy of the guide today at DrHondorp.com/Motivate  Take Home Message I spent years focusing on what I thought was the problem, and wasted time doing what would actually solve the problem. We do this all the time, but the cool thing is, we can use stories to learn from one another.

Episode 46. You guys. I have the pleasure of sharing with you today my chat with Emilee VanHoven PT, DPT, AT, ATC. I was excited about this interview, but listening to it back today, I got chills. I think that Emilee is wise beyond her years and I've learned so much from her. I've gone down a rabbit hole lately into the world of women's health care and the areas where we are missing the mark. This podcast is all about how to move away from ineffective strategies to "control our bodies" and try to get them to fit into societal mold of what health is supposed to look like. Then we also want to look at what works, what's effective. What struck me in this interview was Emilee's talk about holding space for women, meeting them where they are at and helping guide them to take the step that feels doable at that time. Empowering them and not worrying about throwing all the evidence-based strategies at them during the short amount of time they have. It made me truly reflect on the importance of having more women in healthcare, because women can be pretty darn great at doing this. We need more providers willing and able to work within the system to hold space for all people, but particularly women as they navigate balancing work and home life, particularly pregnancy and post-partum. In this interview, we cover a lot, including but not limited to: What is the pelvic floor and why all women, really all humans, need to better understand itThe time periods in your life where a pelvic floor PT visit would be useful (you'll probably be surprised about this!)What symptoms indicate pelvic floor dysfunctionThere is WAY more to it than "Just do kegels!" And in fact that advice may not be what you need at all We talk about the role of shame, pressure, and shoulds and again how it's way less about your provider having the perfect strategies and way more about creating space for healing, which may mean you don't get to all the perfect strategiesDo NOT miss what she says that almost every women says when Emilee looks at their abdomen during her assessmentThe crucial importance of creating more space for women to share their stories versus just giving them all the strategies Emilee is a licensed physical therapist and athletic trainer who practices in the fields of both pelvic health and performing arts. She has been working in healthcare for eight years and has a passion for helping her patients return to what they love. She has completed her pelvic floor coursework through Herman and Wallace and is eager to continue diving deeper into her areas of interest. Presently, she treats women only, and enjoys seeing diagnoses including: urinary incontinence, pelvic pain, pain with intercourse, pelvic organ prolapse, back and tailbone pain, and pregnancy and postpartum-related issues such as back, SI joint, and pelvic pain, diastasis recti, and C-section/perineal scar dysfunction. What Emilee is most passionate about is getting to know you as a person and walking alongside you as you find holistic fulfillment in your health. Want To Support Local Bookstores Near You? Buy your books from Bookshop! Support local bookstores near you and this blog and podcast and help prevent Amazon from completely squashing the local book market. Are You New Here? Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about. We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. Truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place. Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Easy Podcast here!

Episode 45. You are Being Lied To I hate to say it, but it's happening early and often. To all of us. When I'm not getting angry about it, it's sort of fascinating. We actually have a pretty good sense of what constitutes evidence-based nutrition. But the diet and weight loss industry needs to complicate it so that we are reliant on their products. Their business model is designed to create repeat customers, not help us. They want to confuse us and convince us that some great plan is around the corner to save us from our misery. Having us obsess about weight loss and our body size is a great way to do that. When really, they want to hide the fact that it's diet culture and the internalized notion that thinness equals health that makes us feel bad and sometimes quite sick. Today's episode includes: My personal diet culture gaslighting story and how it kept me away from finding an eating pattern that worked for me for years3 diet culture myths that will surprise youWhat you actually should focus on doingNew free resource! 7 Satisfying Snacks You'll Actually Want to Eat Want To Support Local Bookstores Near You? Buy your books from Bookshop! Support local bookstores near you and this blog and podcast and help prevent Amazon from completely squashing the local book market. Are You New Here? Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about. We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. Truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place. Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Easy Podcast here! Introduction: What is this podcast all about?Episode 1: Want to Get & Stay Motivated? A Crash Course on Motivation, Weight Loss, and HealthEpisode 2: How Dieting Steals Our MotivationEpisode 3: How To Get Motivated To Improve Your Health (Motivation 101)Episode 4: How to Transform Health Fears Into Forward Progress Do you ever worry that you are wasting your life? I definitely did. In fact, I wrote that in my journal many years ago when I was in the middle of the diet-binge roller coaster ride. I woke up every day thinking about food, my body, and what I would eat that day to "be healthy"The notebooks I had filled with calories and points could fill up a spare bedroomSocial events and vacations immediately prompted the thought "they will notice I gained weight" or "I need to lose weight by then"Deep down I knew I wasn't living life the way I wanted to, but I didn't know how to pull myself out of it. If this is you, I want you to imagine what it would feel like to feel empowered in your body and proud of your choices on a consistent basis. I promise you, it isn't too late. Dieting steals our motivation. It makes us ineffective. It keeps us spinning our wheels in a system that was never built to work. If you are ready take the first step to motivating yourself with what matters to you, download my free Create Powerful Motivation guide (which is quite beautifully designed if I do say so myself), and walk through the 3 simple steps to create motivation that works for YOU in 15 minutes or less. You will get a simple formula to write ONE SENTENCE you can use to motivate yourself on a daily basis. You can write it on your bathroom mirror, put on the background of your phone, or just read it and repeat it in your mind. Look, I know how much it hurts to live a life worrying you are missing out, not stepping into the person you were truly meant to be, vibrant, passionate, curious, vulnerable, and brave.