Rebel Soul Health Radio

When it comes to finding peace with food, eating, and our appearance, sometimes spewing all the self-love affirmations in the world won't cut it. Let's ditch the pressure to stay 100% positive every day and embrace a down-to-earth approach that respects your body.

This week we challenge the harmful concept of food morality and explore the liberating realm of intuitive eating. Uncover the Rebel Soul Truth about categorizing food as "good" or "bad" and the impact it has on our self-perception. Discover the connections between food morality, eating disorders, and societal influences, and explore practical tips for fostering a healthier relationship with food.

We're delving into the intricate world of eating habits, restriction, and the tumultuous relationship many have with food. As we commemorate Eating Disorder Awareness Week from February 1 to 7, 2024, this episode decodes the restrict-binge cycle.

Uncover the interplay of trauma, food insecurity, and the impact on mental health, providing essential insights into the restrict-binge cycle and the path to recovery.

Hey Rebel, are YOU under the influence? Of this soul-sucking, fear mongering crap shoot that is the ever-intrusive belief structure, diet culture?

Listen in and find out!

WTF is Intuitarianism? Let me tell ya today! And we'll riff on how to:

• Shed labels: rom vegan to paleo, let go of restrictive food identities.
• Embrace a holistic approach to wellness, debunking diet culture.
• Adopt the Intuitarian lifestyle that extends beyond food, nurturing mind and soul.
• Reject the notion of 'I'll be happy when' and savor the NOW.

We're BACK! Helllo 2024, Rebel Souls!

On this week's episode, we're exploring why it’s important to note the bandwidth food takes up in our lives.

Here's a sneak peek into what's cooking:

Quitting Smoking & Breaking Chains How kicking the smoking habit taught me a valuable lesson about the stolen moments diet culture can rob us of.

From Meal Prep Mania to Mindful Eating The thin line between planning for recovery and falling into obsessive thoughts.

Tracking Food Thoughts Uncovering the triggers and circumstances around those seemingly overbearing food thoughts.

Breaking news: physical separation is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to letting people (or their toxicity) go from your life! Listen and learn a simple tool to add to your toolbox that will free your energy up ten-fold!

Integration and embodiment bridge the gap between conceptual understanding and lived experience. When we begin to EMBODY our healing and the wisdom gained through spiritual practice, it's the transformation from head-centric living to heart-centered existence. That's what I am riffing on NOW!

Sign up for my FREE 5 day breathwork Challenge below:

You've probably heard about "Shadow Work," but what exactly is it? In simple terms, the shadow represents all those unconscious aspects of ourselves that we may not be aware of (both our pain/limiting beliefs AND hidden gifts!). And it's not THAT scary! Let's dive in.

The sister wound lives and breathes in us all. It is the sneaky and sh*tty acting force that tells us we don’t belong with others.

I’m too much.

I’m too ugly.

They won’t like me.

I don’t have anything to give.

I can’t trust women.

Sound familiar? Then listen up!

(Apologies for the less-than audio quality on this episode!).

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a way to make the healing journey less, well, HARD? Let's face it, when you decide to really look at your sh*t, things get real, real fast. There are ways to lessen the blow of your trauma, and today I am sharing about two tools I use in breathwork and how they make diving into your dark side that much brighter.

As mammals, we have an innate program in place to mirror each other’s energy. Today I explain "mirror neurons" at the most basic level and share about how the 3 (not 2) nervous system responses we cycle between can be balanced using breathwork.

Rebel Soul Health isn't just a brand. It's a movement. On today's show I share about what being a rebel soul means to me; and it's not all about tattoos and punk rock.

I also share a short life update to fill you in on some of the happenings since moving my family from Costa Rica to Canada earlier this year!

Ditching my career as a TV director in favor of a more holistic health approach to my leadership was not something I did overnight. Going all in on your spirituality doesn't have to mean sacrifice!

If you find yourself feeling like you have to choose between your personal growth and the "matrix", I am here to tell you that you can, and should - have one foot in the spiritual realm and one foot in the corporate world! And if you are on the path to change your career and to be more in service to a higher good, you do still need to have a steady income while you study the Bhagavad Gita (google it).

Trust me, you're not alone in this funky space; I spent a couple of years straddling both worlds while I worked to find my purpose.

And this is what I am riffing on today on the radio!

We all have habits or go-to responses in life that we adopted as a result of our upbringing. No matter how picture perfect our childhood seemed, as we’re growing up not every experience we have is perfect. As children we really just seek to have our needs met. That’s what our existence is about. And if one (or more) of these needs are missed by our caretakers, if they’re not met - then a rupture occurs.

Today on the show I share more about this idea and how Breathwork can be an incredible tool for transforming these small (and sometimes huge) traumas into healing.

Connect with Meg:

My Book with the working title “Wine, Solitaire & Tears” (or, “Bankruptcy, Bulimia, & Polyamory”- what do you think?) has been a work in progress since 2012. Since we are 10 years into this project of mine, I thought I would begin to share some of the pages on the pod, since goddess only knows if I’ll ever get it done!

Today I share about my initial experience with the Akashic Records. Have a listen!

I have done a lot of coaching trainings - in integrative nutrition, as a culinary nutrition expert, fertility coach, child birth education, spiritual coach, NLP & Human Design coach; you name it!

While these certifications have helped me and my clients in many ways; what was missing for them and what was long missing for me on my personal transformational journey; was the ENERGETIC component.

When it comes to transformation and resetting habits and beliefs; mindset is good for about 20% of it. Looking at and feeling into the Energetics can help heal the other 80.

Today on the show I expand on this topic and also discuss a revised version of “The Self Coaching Model”; a step by step plan for creating change.

While it is inevitable that relationships come and go through a lifetime, and as some best friends seemingly fall off the face of the earth as we navigate transitions and moves, it is OK to feel sad. It is fully OK to be in all the feelings that can come up when our community collapses.  

Today on the show I am sharing a bit about my experience with this in my most recent transition to Mother, for the second time. And because this is a thing that has been coming up a lot not just for myself but many people I know, I thought that I would share a bit about how I have sifted through the emotionality and WORK of this, and also offer some simple tips on how to meet new friends in adulthood. 

Wanna be my friend? 

As many of you know, I shaved my head for many years and when I caught wind that my sister Danika was planning to do so as part of her spiritual path this month, I wanted to speak to her about it!

I had been following her journey online as she went from deciding her breast implants were no longer serving her to having the actual explant surgery, and we decided we would talk once both her boobs and long blonde hair were gone!

So I am excited to share that conversation today - a chat where Danika goes deep into her WHY and we also talk about:

• Her previous lives a as a stripper and magician’s assistant
• Her challenges as a pet-lover with savior complex
• And what feminine embodiment means to her

Danika is an Advanced Kambo Practitioner & Reiki Master as well as former licensed nurse.

How do you make your Ego your amigo? And WHY should you?

In this solo episode I dive right into the Ego's role in creating our reality. Many people beginning on the spiritual path believe that the goal is to obliterate the ego and dissolve it into nothing. When in fact, what we need to focus on is creating a more understanding and mutually beneficial relationship; one that allows us to use its lessons to catapult us forward instead of allowing it to hold us back.

Connect with Meg:

Can NLP & Plant Medicine Work Together?

Julyet Berlen sure thinks so! Today she and I get into what neuro linguistic programming is, but more importantly what it did for her and what it can do for YOU! Especially if you are on the medicine path to boot.  

Is sleep training all it's cracked up to be?

Do you have a picky eater at home? I sure do!

Today I have returning guest Poppy of Low Stress Motherhood on the show!

After almost a decade of working one-on-one with babies and toddlers in a home environment, feeding them breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner; this twin toddler mom, licensed childcare provider, and owner of a Montessori-inspired family daycare has heaps to share about picky eating!

In today's convo we cover:

- 6 Food Exposure Activities That Can Get Your Picky Toddler To Try New Foods

- What "food chaining" is and how it can help

- The basis for Poppy's Transforming Picky Eaters: A 4-Week Plan

You guys! We finally did it! We had our baby boy Ozzy.

What are the 2 main reasons for common issues like blocked ducts, painful feeding and mastitis? I have International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Taya Griffin back on the show to tell us as well as what makes IBCLC certified professionals different.

She also shares what she sees as the 2 main reasons for common issues like blocked ducts, painful feeding and mastitis. ⁠

Have you thought about how you can honor sacred transitions in life like pregnancy, birth, and the entrance into and through matrescence? 

This week on the show I have Kirstin B Ford, ceremonialist & Ayurvedic Wellness Coach. Kirstin's mission is to create safe spaces for women to return to themselves and witness their divine potential through ceremony. Today we dive deep into the importance of ritual for transversing rites of passage and big transitions in our lives.

As a side note - Kirstin also dishes about what it was like to work alongside John Hamm (swoon!) in the final season of Mad Men!

⁠Why is offering our baby food important before age 1? Or is it? I have returning guest, pediatric dietitian Priscila Cleary on the show again! ⁠

⁠On today’s episode we discuss the old adage that "food before 1 is just for fun" PLUS and we go over 8 common mistakes that parents make while starting their baby on solids. ⁠

About Priscila Cleary, RDN, MS, CSOWM

Pri is the Pediatric Dietitian and founder of Baby To Table Nutrition. Her focus is on child and family nutrition. She completed her dietetics training both here in the US, and in Brazil where She is originally from. She earned a Masters' degree in Nutrition from Florida State University. At home her life is also all about feeding babies and toddlers. Priscila and her husband have three small children, 3 years old and under. She is passionate about helping parents feed their children with confidence and joy from the start. She provides coaching and online resources (guides, courses, workshops) for parents/caregivers of babies and toddlers.

I have returning guest Stephanie Levich on the show to take us deeper into the conversation surrounding alternative methods of family building. ⁠

⁠On the heels of the release of her brand new book”From the Start: A Book about Love and Making Families” we discuss further the importance of this inclusive & heartfelt children’s book for any parent who has created their family through adoption, IVF, sperm/donation, or surrogacy.⁠

⁠For more on Stephanie’s work in the field and her personal story around adoption and IVF please go back and listen to episode #46 when she first appeared on the show. ⁠

Fertility Food!  What is it? And how strict do you really need to be in order to conceive? Sabrina Virdee is a registered holistic nutritionist specializing in pre and post natal care and family health. Today we dive deep into what we can do from trimester zero through to conception when it comes to diet , but with no “Good vs Bad” mentality. ⁠

Sabrina walks us through the 6 foods that should be a part of any fertility meal plan as well as a handful that could be limited or avoided for optimal health. ⁠⁠

We talk about the best good fats and also how elimination diets can sometimes support those battling inflammation or autoimmune issues. I also speak to my experience and how these stricter ways of eating did NOT serve me on my path. 

Stay tuned for out next episode where we will talk postnatal/breastfeeding nutrition!⁠

Human Design as a support in our parenting! What do YOU know about this fascinating tool?

This episode was SO fun for me as I have been in my own HD experiment for a couple of years now! 

My guest today is Melissa Leithwood; Women's Mentor, Certified Gene Keys Guide, and 6/3 Emotional Projector in Human Design. She is a mother to two Generator type girls whom she homeschools. She mentors women in embodying their soul's purpose through Human Design and the Gene Keys so they may pass this wisdom along to their children.

Melissa goes over why Human Design can be SO helpful for us in understanding WHO our children are at a soul design level, and she even gives me some insight into how I can best support my dear daughter Cobie (I am a 5/1 Generator and Cobie is a 2/4 Manifestor for anyone out there that knows a thing or two about this stuff!)

Do you even THINK about your pelvic health? Many of us don't; UNTIL something goes awry. And get this - leaking urine after giving birth is NOT normal!

Today on the show I speak with Teresa Luu, a Toronto-based physiotherapist specializing in women's health. 

We discuss why pelvic floor health SO important to consider when planning to become pregnant, why she thinks so many people dismiss this area of pre and postnatal care, what she sees common while treating second time mamas who didn't consider pelvic floor PT the first time around, and what is common but NOT normal when it comes to pelvic floor health!

How parents use behavioral interventions on children is often rooted in the fact that many don't want to face their own shit. 

This week on the show I have Candace St. John, a Public Health Practitioner & Pediatric Sleep Specialist who, after the birth of her own child in June 2020, she was floored by the amount of unsubstantiated evidence that most mainstream parenting techniques and ideologies are built upon. She has made it her mission to not only break down the myths and misinformation that run rampant in the social media world as shared by so many “experts”, but to also help us understand that it really is okay to use both science AND your intuition when it comes to parenting decisions.

Today I talked with Candace about:

• How we as parents can better support our kids through working to heal our own trauma
• What ACEs (alders childhood experiences) are and how they shape EVERYTHING in our lives
• Why evidence based information is lacking in both the health care sector and in many popular parenting resources and how this is adding unnecessary pressure and expectation on both the caregiver and child.

Want to WEAR your breast milk in a beautiful way?

Alyssa Jenkins is the creator and founder of “The Simple Olive”, an online shop specializing in breast milk jewelry! Today we talk about what brought her to start her super successful small biz, what other types of jewelry she makes (think umbilical cord, placenta, ashes, flowers), and she offers tips for other mamas wanting to follow their entrepreneurial heart.

What is Peaceful Potty Training?

Can we REALLY get our kids to use the loo in a low-stress way?

Poppy is a wife, a no-frills twin toddler mom, licensed childcare provider, and owner of a Montessori-inspired family daycare and preschool just outside of San Francisco. In our conversation today we we talk about how this amazing mama transitioned from a background in fashion design and marketing to owning her own daycare and what makes her an authority in the pottying arena! She shares about what makes her undiapering technique different, and the role we play as parents in this massive (and often emotional) undertaking for our kiddos.

What does living an EMPOWERED life look like to you? To me, much of it is about living in TRUTH, walking my most authentic path, and being integral in my words and actions. This has meant that I have changed course in my life, many, many times - so that I could honor the calling and evolution of my soul.

Today I am sharing about the 5 Things I’ve Learned through REINVENTING MYSELF time and time again; so that these tips can perhaps assist you becoming an EMPOWERED version of yourSelf! I also drop a series of Abundance Codes that I have been vibing and thriving by since 2017!  Have a listen and prepare to be inspired!

Show notes:

Empower Mastermind: A year long container held by myself, Cara Kelley, and Kelly Murray where we will support you in all aspects of your upleveling; ⁠
⁠
👑 Spiritual & Holistic Wellness ⁠
👑 Vision & Clarity⁠
👑 Performance & Optimization⁠
⁠

How do we know when we should we start offering solid food to baby? My guest today, Priscilla Cleary RDN, MS, CSOWM is a mother of 3 under 3(!) and is also a pediatric dietitian and founder of Baby to Table Nutrition. 

On today’s episode we get right into a conversation about the three main methods for introducing solids to our babies, the pros and cons of each, and we also touch on the importance of acknowledging our own families needs when it comes to choosing the best way to nourish our Littles.

Celebrating 1 year of Episodes!

As a busy working mama (of almost 2), I am humbled and grateful to have the capacity, time, space and support to do what I love - which is being in service.

Today on the show I have another real life birth story this time with 30 year old Canadian mama, Michelle Woke. At the time of this recording her first child Hadley was 5 1/2 months old and you’ll probably hear her making her adorable baby sounds during the recording.

Michelle lives in a rural area in northern Canada and birthed in hospital in a nearby city. She shares about the research and preparation she did prior to going into labor and how that really helped her stand firm in her intentions for an intervention free natural birth. Michelle was able to experience the empowered and magical birth that she wanted IN hospital, and attributes a lot of her ability to do that thanks to her Doula and she herself being prepared and educated.

What I really loved about Michelle’s story was her experience in what we refer to in the holistic stages of labor as “the return“; a peaceful period immediately postpartum that the mother spends time stabilizing and allowing herself to return from the birth portal. Michelle’s story is a beautiful one; as is her energy and I hope you all enjoy!

How long should you nurse your baby? 6 months? 1 year? 6 years? 

Taya Griffin is an international board-certified lactation consultant with 14 years and over 1500 hours of clinical experience helping mothers achieve their nursing goals. In today’s episode Taya shares about her own extended period of breast-feeding her children (and let me say the age at which her two daughters weaned may surprise you) and how the “natural age for weaning” can be a lot later than many of us think.

We also talk about her background as a homeopathic practitioner and how she integrates her training in rhythmic movement and infant reflexes into her lactation consultations.

Today I have my dear soul sister Meg Sylvester back on the show, this time to talk about her real life birth stories! If you don’t know who Meg is yet, go back and listen to Episodes 7 & 26 of the show, where you learn all about Meg's mission in the world and also you can hear my interview on her podcast “Manifest Miracles”.

Today we chat about what it was like for Meg to have her first child in her late 20s versus her third child in her late 30s and also why the age gaps between her three children has been absolutely perfect for her family. Meg goes into detail about her third birth (of her now two year old son Happy) and why an empowered and primal home birth was exactly what the spiritual doctor ordered.

About Meg:

Will my surrogate want to keep my baby? 

We answer this and so much more today with Stephanie Levich, founder and president of Family Match Consulting. With 20 years of service in the fertility world, she and her team help families grow in the ways that are still not spoken enough about and have many misconceptions surrounding them. Today on the show we have a very important conversation discussing the many different ways that we create families; including surrogacy, egg and sperm donation, adoption and more. ⁠

This is a much-needed conversation for not only parents but also for the education of all of our children. ⁠

Orgasm in birth? You betcha!

Simone Stein is a veterinarian specializing in integrative medicine, Reiki practitioner, life coach, and mother of three.

Today on the show we discussed how this incredible woman birthed all three of her children after age 38, and how she used various holistic practices to experience a combination of pleasure and pain during labor, how she gratefully stumbled Hypnobirthing and how it helped her manage labour, and how her birth was truly orgasmic.

Connect:

Ayahuasca has taught me a lot; and so has my 2.5 year old daughter Cobie! On this solo episode I share some of the parallel lessons I have learned from them both as well as an update on our conscious birth intentions for baby Ozzy, and details about the “Empower Conference” I am speaking at in Florida this June.

Show Notes:

What kind of mother do you want to be? Today I am speaking to Natalie Sager, International Book Award winning Author of Peaceful Mama; The Mind, Body & Baby Connection. 

Today we talk about what inspired her and her co-author Lindsay Ambrose to write this much needed book and she explains what the MAMAAH moments are (HINT: its’s an acronym for the framework of this conscious mothering manifesto).

Natalie shares her own journey and what she feels is missing when it comes to preparing mothers for an empowering journey into Matrescence.

About Natalie:

Natalie Sager is an International Book Award winning Author, Spiritual Life Coach, Teacher & Meditative Yogini. She is passionate about holistic health, organic living and honoring the Divine. Her main mission is to help all beings live in optimal health with an abundance of happiness.

Peaceful Mama: The Mind, Body & Baby Connection is the #1 New Release in Pregnancy and Childbirth, Winner of the International Book Awards, and an Indies Forward Reviews Finalist.

Shortie solo episode coming in hot 🔥

Here's what I'm talking to:

• An update on my current pregnancy with Ozzy man
• The A, B, C's of birth "intending"
• The importance of prenatal/birth education

I am so excited to have another birth story to share with you all today! Tushita is a first time mother based out of San Diego California and we had such a pleasure speaking because on the day of recording (which was February 14, Valentine’s Day) we were celebrating exactly one year since we first met here in Costa Rica. 

Tushita is a certified Ayurvedic health counselor who had a birth plan that got turned on its head and is now using everything she experienced and learned as her “curriculum“ for expanded healing and growth in her revolutionary process. 

Today on the show we talk about her fertility journey and how she used Ayurvedic practices and some work with plant medicine powerhouse Mother Ayahuasca to help prepare herself for her birth experience and becoming a mother.  We also discuss the magic that she is now offering to the world as a new mom.

Connect:

Alex Wachelka is a Lactation Specialist and founder of Motherhood Blooms Lactation™, where she educates and empowers new moms and soon to be parents in a safe environment, using an evidence-based approach.

Today on the show we talk about what Alex thinks about the saying “breast is best“ as well as how new parents can set themselves up for breast-feeding success!

We also touch on how older women  (like myself, haha!) can support themselves in the breast-feeding journey, and what foods can help with supply.

More from Alex:

Kristina Bruce is a first time mother in Toronto Canada who recently gave birth to her first child at age 40 (so Fertile at 40 of her!).⁠

Today on the podcast we talk about not only what conception was like for her (spoiler - it was easy!), but we also discuss what pregnancy was like as well as how her envisioned home birth played out nearly exactly as planned.⁠

At the time of recording Kristina was 5 months postpartum with her daughter and we also talk about the emotional struggles that go with recovering from the birth experience as well as why some ideas about fertility pregnancy and birth after 40 need to be let go of.⁠

About Kristina:

Kristina is a first time mom at 40 living in Toronto, Canada with her husband and baby girl. Her educational background and work is in the area of health and wellness - specifically helping clients to recover from dieting and disordered eating, and develop a positive relationship with their body. She is trained as a yoga teacher, and is committed to the practices of meditation and self-inquiry that she uses both with her clients, and personally to help navigate the waters of life.

Connect: