Bowl of Life

On this podcast episode, Sarah talks with Coach Jon McLernon. Coach Jon is a weight loss coach and emotional eating expert who has lost 100lbs.  From nanotechnology researcher, to Navy marine engineer, to globetrotting nomad, Coach Jon spent most of his life running from his true calling, until one question changed his life.  Now he's on a mission to help others lose weight for good by learning why brain driven weight loss works and fad diets don't work!

With Freedom Nutrition Coaching he marries the Science of Metabolism with the Psychology of Behavior Change and the Compassion of Human Connection to create life-changing transformations with his clients.

In today’s episode, Sarah talks with Harmony Slater, one of 20 women in the world to hold the title of Certified Ashtanga Yoga Teacher and Wellness Coach, about the benefits of breathwork. Harmony has not only studied breathwork and yoga but she specializes in helping her clients overcome the negative physical and mental effects of chronic stress by creating awareness around irregular breathing patterns, which can lead to feelings of fatigue, an inability to concentrate, and a lack of mind-body connection.

Talking points from today’s episode:

1. Why is breathwork important?
2. Is breathwork different from meditation?
3. When is a practice of breath work useful?
4. How long has breathwork been practiced?
5. Are there any dangers to breathwork?
6. How often should one engage in breathwork?
7. Are there different types of breathwork?
8. What are some simple breathwork techniques a beginner could do?

Harmony also gives us a peek into her upcoming breathwork course!

In this episode, Katey explains intermittent fasting and gives us an inside look into the healthy benefits she experience by incorporating restorative eating into her lifestyle. From burning fat to boosting metabolism - and even supporting gut health, Katey answers all the frequently asked questions about from what intermittent fasting is and how it works. She also goes over popular methods such as time restricted eating and circadian fasting as well as the 'rules' to intermittent fasting - although she does advocate to find what works for you and that it is not about being super regimented! We also talk about what to do if you get hungry when fasting and more! 

In this episode, Sarah talks with health and habit change coach Layne Stowell, founder of Elevated Health Coaching. Layne is on a mission to help busy professionals see the healthy choice as the simple choice and that includes information about carbs! The simple truth is we need carbs - they give us energy. The problem is when we eat too many 'simple carbs' - think processed food - and not enough 'complex carbs' - think vegetables! Complex carbs are full of fiber and nutrients and are good for us! Layne also explains how to habit change and think of carbs in 'quality not quantity'. It's all about most of the choices you make being the healthy choice and looking at your nutrition on a spectrum - rather than limiting what you can or can't eat which might lead to some obsessive food behaviors or leaving you feeling bad about 'falling off the wagon'. So definitely eat your carbs just start to take notice of when you eat the processed white bread, how it makes you feel and pivot to understanding how a complex carb full of fiber might give you more energy and keep you full longer.

In today's episode, Sarah talks with Danielle Christy from Savor the Kitchen about the health benefits of magnesium. 80% of Americans are deficient in magnesium and magnesium is involved in more than 600 reactions in our body. While it is true, eating a whole foods plant based diet is great and does provide many nutrients, it is also true that our soil has become very depleted and sometimes cannot provide all the vitamins we need. Danielle, explains the different types of magnesium and what they are used for in the body, as well as explains personally how supplementing with a good quality magnesium vitamin helped her sleep better and gave her more energy.

Milena Prinzi, Editor in Chief at  All Things Hair, a Unilever brand where she spearheads Unilever's entire hair brand portfolio editorial presence working directly with the brand teams at Dove, Nexxus, Axe, Love, Beauty, and Planet, SheaMoisture, TRESemme and founder of Food vs. Evil which is a lifestyle destination where her and her team celebrate people, beauty, and wellness and fight against anything that keeps us from feeling and looking our very best joins the podcast today to talk about what plant based foods we need to eat to have strong hair, skin and nails. We also talk about some frequently asked hair care questions such as how often to wash our hair and how to use dry shampoo. This is a great podcast to learn more about what plant based vitamins and minerals we need to eat {or supplement with} to have healthier skin, hair and nails.

Kerri Fox, a certified health coach and founder of Fox Health Coaching, joins the podcast today to talk about how we can fit dessert into our healthy habits. Kerri and I touch on the topic of how we shouldn't label food as good or bad, but as it JUST IS, and if one day we eat the chips, well, that JUST IS, and the next day we might crave a smoothie. And that JUST IS. What a cool way to approach your eating, it's all about the person you want to be. It's not about the labels. It's more about, well, what will our next choice be? That's just such a great reminder, not to beat ourselves up with, what we're eating, especially during the holidays or vacations or anything like that. 

We also talk about:

• Healthy dessert swaps - it's not about giving up dessert, it's about choosing something even better!
• How they adjust to eating vegan for religious purposes during fasting periods
• Resetting your health during a detox
• And more!

On today's episode, Joe and I talk about how our negative thoughts can spiral out of control, how that can leave us in a rut and how to change that stinkin' thinkin'!

Get all the show resources: https://www.badtothebowl.com/44

Stinkin' Thinkin' Shows Up in Many Areas

In 2005, the National Science Foundation published an article regarding research about human thoughts per day. The average person has about 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day. Of those, 80%  are negative and 95% are exactly the same repetitive thoughts as the day before and about 80% are negative.

So where do these thoughts show up?

1. Health & Wellness
2. Family
3. Environment
4. Job
5. It Can Show up Anywhere!

Dr. Aaron Hartman, MD, joins the podcast today to talk about how food is information for our body. Dr. Aaron is board certified in family medicine and integrative and holistic medicine. He is also a published clinical researcher and currently practices functional medicine at Richmond Integrative & Functional medicine where he is empowering his patients with the information and resources they need to harness their own bodies power to heal.

On this podcast we talk about:
1. What is functional medicine vs traditional medicine?
2. The pillars of functional medicine and how they set the 'foundation' for health
3. Food trends and how we can use history and our environment to interrupt the trends
4. Postbiotics - definition and how that is different than prebiotics and probiotics
5. Processed food - even on the outer edges of the grocery store!
6. The complexity of food and how it changes via processing and its effects on our health

Learn more on the show notes: https://www.badtothebowl.com/43

Connect with Dr. Aaron:

On this episode, Sarah talks with Erica Merrill, health coach and certified personal trainer about the definition of wellness. Erica shares with us the subjective measures we need to think about when starting a new health journey - whether that be a new fitness or nutritional change and how those subject measures can actually be what fuels us to stay on our new wellness journey long term. Erica also shares with us how action can actually fuel our motivation (not the other way around!) and have the snowball effect of leading us to true change. We go over how SMART goals apply to wellness and how looking back can help you move forward. 

Chelsea Baxter from Mama Has Her Mindful joins the podcast today to talk about how her family transitioned from a standard American diet to a plant based vegan diet. She shares so many great tips on how to talk with your kids, and how to acknowledge everyone's feelings while transitioning! Chelsea also gives us her best mindfulness tips - on how to start, how not to be intimidated by mindfulness and how to be present more in our everyday life.

Danielle is teaching busy families how to savor their kitchen time and enjoy family dinners that build memories, Danielle is teaching busy families how to savor kitchen time and enjoy family dinners that build memories, connection and conversation through simple, approachable tips that focus on counting the colors on your plate vs. the calories.

In this episode Sarah talks with Karla Salinari, the Latina Health Coach about how to flip our relationship with food. Food is fuel and we need understand that what we put in our bodies matters. Karla shares her own journey to educating herself about using food as fuel and then now sharing that message with her community. She is on a mission to help others understand that food is not the enemy and that you don't need to give up the food you love, you just need to learn to upgrade it - or in her words 'flip it'! She also shares her perspective on how each of us has our own bio-individuality and how that applies to our plate. Each of us is unique and our food journey should be too!

Get the show notes: badtothebowl.com/39

Mushroom expert Jeff Chilton joins the podcast today to talk all about the wonders of mushrooms and how they are beneficial for our health! Jeff has been studying mushrooms his whole career from growing them, to writing a book and now cultivating them for supplements. Mushrooms are often thought to be the 'forgotten food' and Jeff is on a mission to change that! On this episode, Jeff educates on why mushrooms are so beneficial to our health such as:

• their immunity benefits
• fiber content
• natural beta glucans 
• how mushrooms can aid in Vitamin D product in our bodies naturally

Jeff loves to spread the message about using food as medicine, and mushrooms are a huge part of that! He also gives the behind the scenes look into the mushroom supplement industry and what to look for as well as what to avoid when supplementing with a mushroom powder.

Get all the show notes: https://www.badtothebowl.com/38

In this episode, Sarah interviews Barb Webb, author of the new book Getting Baked: Everything You Need To Know About Hemp, CBD, and Medicinal Gardening. This book is a great place to start if you are interested in learning more about how the plants around us can help support our health and wellness goals. From CBD to herbs and spices, Barb gives us the background and tips on how to use medicinal gardening for its healing properties.

In this episode, I talk with Katey Chambers, founder of RI4Wellness all about how to support your gut health! Katey gives us the scoop on what is gut health and 4 easy ways we can improve our gut health. The gut microbiome is known as the body’s second brain, since it’s linked to our digestion, immunity, brain function, metabolism, and hormones. It plays a huge role in our health. As we age, our microbiome changes, becoming less diverse and prone to the growth of more bad bacteria, requiring more support to increase the levels of good.  Our goal is to increase the level of good bacteria. Listen to this episode to learn 4 easy ways you can start improving your gut health today. 

In this episode, Sarah interviews Elaine Gordon, founder of the website Eating by Elaine and cookbook author of Rock Your Blender. Rock Your Blender contains 31 smoothie recipes + 7 additional recipes that accompany smoothies. In this interview, Elaine gives us her best smoothie tips, tells us how to add nutritional value with smoothie boosters, how to prep your smoothies so they are easy to make in the morning and more! This interview will have you craving a smoothie especially when Elaine talks about her favorites from the book such as the Strawberry Almond Butter Smoothie, Key Lime Pie Smoothie or the Almond Joy Smoothie. 

Have you wanted to start eating a Mediterranean diet but weren't sure where to start? On this episode, Amy Katz, founder of the blog Veggies Save the Day joins the podcast to tell us all about the lifestyle that has been rated #1 for four years in a row by US World and News Report. In this episode you will learn what a plant based Mediterranean diet is, why the Mediterranean lifestyle is more than just food, why this diet has been researched than rated so highly as the #1 diet to follow and how you can start to look at all your food choices through a Mediterranean lens. We also go over Amy's free ebook of Mediterranean diet recipes and more that is the perfect kickstarter to living the Mediterranean lifestyle and her instant flavor guide which is a 4 part method to take your dinners from boring to flavorful! 

Get the show notes: https://www.badtothebowl.com/33

In this episode Sarah interviews Sharon Palmer, The Plant Powered Dietician, about her new cookbook California Vegan: Inspiration and Recipes from the People and Places of the Golden State. This new cookbook features over 100 plant-based recipes, is full of beautiful photography and welcomes Californians into veganism and vegans all over the world into California.

In this interview we talk about the diverse story of California veganism and how the aesthetic of California food features local produce and celebrates the cultural roots, historical legacy, and future of plant-based pioneers in the state. California is where vegan culture all began, and where a diverse group of innovators continue breaking new ground. From the first glimpses of California cuisine in the 1970s to today’s Silicon Valley startups revolutionizing the way America eats, the Golden State starts the veggie trends the rest of the country follows. 

In this episode, Sarah talks with Katy at Learner Vegan about how she is helping women ditch the junk food to get the body they want. In this podcast we go over what is considered junk food, what it means to be plant based vs. vegan, and kitchen hacks that make nutritious meals easy to have on hand. If you are ready to stop restricting food, stop counting calories and have the body you want, this episode is a must listen. Discover how you can find food freedom and love the body you are in.

In this episode Sarah talks with Dinara Mukh, a health and hormone balance coach. Dinara is the founder of the Vitality Project which helps women restore their hormonal balance, remove stress & guilt from food and sync their cycle. This episode was so eye opening in regards to women's health and how balancing our cycle with our eating and exercise routines can actually help us lose weight! We also talked about how she decreased PMS symptoms by cycle syncing and how to break through weight loss resistance (hint: it's all about improving your hormonal health!)

In this plant based FAQ Joe and I answer listeners questions about a plant based diet! From what to do with cauliflower to why am I so gassy, we uncover it all. In this episode we answer these questions:

• What is the difference between vegan, plant based and WFPBNO?
• Is Tofu healthy for You?
• What recipes can I make with cauliflower?
• How do I make salad dressings without oil?
• What is aquafaba?
• Why am I so gassy after swapping vegan junk food for a whole foods plant based diet?
• Are whole or hulled hemp seeds better for you?
• Should I eat cacao nibs?
• What immune boosting foods or vitamins should I take to stay healthy?

On this episode, Sarah talks with Holly Bertone of Pink Fortitude about what is a healthy lifestyle vs. a clean lifestyle. Holly shares her story of fortitude from battling breast cancer and an autoimmune disorder and why she believes that living clean is the best preventative care. She has some great tips on eating cleaner and creating a less toxic environment in your home! In Holly's words, it's just not your diet that needs to be cleaner, it's everything. We couldn't agree more! The best thing at the end of the day though is taking care of your mental health. Holly has some great encouragement on how we can start and end our day with gratitude and her message of how gratitude builds fortitude is inspiring!

In this episode, I talk with Polina Fiksson a certified nutrition coach whose focus is helping women achieve a positive body image and find peace with food. Polina's own struggle with orthorexia led her down the path to helping women find freedom from disordered eating. Polina gives actionable tips that you can apply today to move towards a positive body image and acceptance. Being fearful of food or having guilt and shame around food it not sustainable, Polina's message of positive body acceptance and encouragement that this is a journey to being kinder to ourselves is exactly what we need to hear. 

Get the show notes: https://www.badtothebowl.com/21

Lauren, from Well Elephant, joins Sarah on the podcast to tell her story on how adopting an oil free, plant based diet filled with whole foods can have a miraculous effect on your health. On this episode we discuss:

In this episode I talk with Deanna from Design this House on how we can declutter our kitchen to make healthier choices! A kitchen in chaos can easily lead to decision fatigue the minute you walk in the room and that can easily lead to burnout that has us reaching for the takeout menu. Deanna has 5 great tips on how to declutter the kitchen and reset it with a system in place so that you don't feel overwhelm. Use these tips now to reset your kitchen for a healthy new year! 

On today's podcast I interview Candi and Rita, founders of Core and Rind. Core and Rind has a mission to disrupt the inner aisles of the supermarket with a clean label, whole food ingredient, shelf stable product! Their sauce is dairy free, vegan, keto friendly, Whole 30 approved and Paleo approved. This cheesy sauce is a pantry staple in our household. It tastes amazing and on the podcast we learn all about how the product was even brought into fruition. 

It can be tough as a host at the holidays when your guests have different food choices than what may be considered 'traditional'. In this episode we give 3 best tips for the holiday host including giving yourself grace and then we do a cliff notes version of current popular diets. We end the episode with some helpful hacks to make eating at the holiday table enjoyable for all! 

Enneagram with Emily joins Sarah on the podcast today to talk about how to thrive this holiday season when armed with Enneagram knowledge. Each Enneagram type experiences different stressors during the holiday season based on their core motivations. Emily explains each of the nine Enneagram types, what underlying motivation may appear during a family holiday celebration and how you can help understand each other better! When we can understand why a family member or guest is acting a certain way, it can increase our compassion and decrease our frustration. This episode is full of ah-ha moments that will help you thrive this holiday season.