The Nourished CEO Podcast

We all have goals. Yet, it takes consistency to achieve any worthwhile objective. Whether they are health or business-related, today's guest shares how she stays consistent in her efforts to achieve whatever she sets her mind to. If you have a big goal but are feeling unsure about how to take action, this episode is for you.   About Kritikaa Agnani, RD Kritikaa Agnani is a Registered Dietitian with a Master of Clinical Nutrition degree, and experience in caring for patients both in the hospital and one-on-one setting. Her specialties include weight loss and athletic performance. Kritikaa discovered her passion for educating after she taught the course "Nutrition and Diet Therapy" at Collin Community College. She then began to create educational YouTube videos to combat common nutrition myths and misconceptions. Her goal is to help people create a healthier, more connected relationship with food and to make quality nutrition education more accessible. In her free time, she enjoys weight training and playing the piano.   Finding The Right Information For Your Health In this episode, we begin by discussing the pitfalls of misinformation. A lot of the nutrition literature online presents itself as one-size-fits-all simple solutions. However, the reality is much more nuanced. It's tough to know what is credible and what applies to you in particular. Kritikaa explains how she goes about discerning helpful from unhelpful and fact from fiction.   Is Weight-Loss the Right Approach to Health? We also talk about a controversial topic in the world of nutrition: whether intentional weight loss can ever be healthy. The fact of the matter is that sometimes it is healthy and sometimes it isn't - it all depends on the individual.  Everyone has a different body, different genetics, a different lifestyle. There are some instances when it is better to lose some weight to improve metabolic health and there are times when that would be unhealthy. Kritikaa explains the subtleties of her approach to helping her patients determine what’s best for them.   Establishing Habits As The Way To Achieving Goals As far as making and working towards goals are concerned, we discuss the importance of building habits and setting realistic expectations. Kritikaa and I know the importance of focusing on implementing habits rather than strictly worrying about the outcome. The things we put effort into take time. It may be months or even years before you see results. This can apply to weight-loss goals as well as your goals to have a successful business. Perhaps the hardest part of this is staying motivated when the day-to-day progress is hard to see. Kritikaa’s main piece of advice is to make the process itself enjoyable. Find an exercise or routine you enjoy. See the process of whatever you’re doing as joyful. If you see exercise or work as merely something that you have to do, then it will be hard to stay motivated. How do you establish habits that you enjoy doing? Leave a comment on the episode page!   Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!   In This Episode How an unhealthy relationship with body-image led Kritikaa into a career in nutrition [3:40] How to avoid falling for bad health information [5:30] Whether or not intentional weight-loss can ever be healthy [7:30] Common and harmful myths in nutrition and health [18:05] Establishing smaller enjoyable habits to achieve big goals [22:33] Kritikaa’s mission to become a voice of truth in the health and wellness space [29:45] Tips for anyone who wants to start a YouTube channel for their business [31:08] Dealing with the fear of criticism when creating content [35:13]   Quotes “People would really benefit if we learned that organic doesn’t necessarily mean healthier.” [19:23] “I think I’m just so passionate about spreading the evidence-based information and the right information so that people don’t harm their bodies and do what I did as a kid.” [30:45] “You’re going to be judged no matter what, so why not put your opinions out there? Put everything out there and maybe you’re going to be helping a lot of people.” [35:07]   Review Fed and Fearless on Apple Podcasts! Send a screenshot of your review to hello@lauraschoenfeldrd.com or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you my Overcoming Undereating eBook. If you post your favorite episode in your Insta stories and tag me @LauraShoenfeldRD, I’ll also send you my 14-Day Calorie Challenge Recipe Guide!   Links The Profit Planning Workbook Follow Kritikaa on YouTube | Instagram Leave a review of Fed and Fearless! Sign Up For The Free Training: The 5 Secrets of Fearlessly Healthy Women of Faith Learn more about business coaching with me Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

Through my practice and studies, I’ve seen the importance of identity when it comes to habit change. The function of our bodies is so often tied to the habits that we have. Today’s guest makes it her mission to help her clients dig into their identities to get to the root of their gut issues and reclaim their ability to thrive.   About Victoria Coglianese, RD Victoria is a Registered Dietitian and business owner of Wonderfully Made Nutrition. She practices a functional nutrition approach to help people with chronic gut health issues, autoimmunity, and PCOS to overcome their conditions by addressing underlying gut and hormone root causes. She believes wholeheartedly that each person has an innate capability to thrive, and we can reclaim that by learning to confidently make connections between what our bodies experience and our food choices, health behaviors, stressors, and mindset. Victoria considers her work a true mission in life to help people finally find freedom from complex health issues and renew their hope that they have been truly wonderfully made.   The Connection of Faith and Entrepreneurship As a health and wellness entrepreneur, Victoria knows what it means to take chances. There are certainly times when the future seems uncertain. Victoria describes how her faith allows her to take risks and trust that God will provide.  The truth is, as an entrepreneur you have to find it within yourself to continue on when things get tough. Knowing that your clients rely on you and you will only succeed through your own hard work can be a lot of weight to carry. This is where Victoria finds her faith to be an integral part of her continued success.   Mindset, Weight-gain, and Your Health We also talk about a topic that is central to Victoria’s work: unwanted weight gain. At the root of her approach is mindset which centers on three Fs - faith, food, and function. Simply put, it is our beliefs that inform how we eat, which in turn affects how our bodies function.  With this in mind, Victoria explains how being aware of yourself - your moods and feelings - throughout the day is central to reclaiming your vitality. Nothing is too small to ignore or desire for improvement. When you focus on your wellbeing and make it a priority, true and lasting healing will result. How does faith play a role in your health? Leave a comment on the episode page!   Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!   In This Episode How her own history of disordered eating and gut issues led Victoria into a career of helping others deal with theirs [4:00] The role that faith plays in entrepreneurship [10:30] The hidden causes of unwanted weight-gain [15:17] Why it’s not selfish to focus on your own health needs [22:44] The role of self-discipline in healing [32:18] The place of prayer in overcoming gut problems [41:55]   Quotes “I really see food for what it is as being a real gift from God to nourish us and as a means for healing our bodies.” [6:25] “If we’re mind, body, and spirit, then we truly are and nothing is separated. No health behavior or action is too small to pray about.” [27:19] “We need to dig deeper. We really need to get to the route cause. And I believe that the Lord wants that for us.” [43:22]   Review Fed and Fearless on Apple Podcasts! Send a screenshot of your review to hello@lauraschoenfeldrd.com or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you my Overcoming Undereating eBook. If you post your favorite episode in your Insta stories and tag me @LauraShoenfeldRD, I’ll also send you my 14-Day Calorie Challenge Recipe Guide!   Links The Profit Planning Workbook Find Victoria Coglianese online Follow Victoria on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Linkedin Get Victoria’s free guide - “The Top 3 Reasons Why You’re Not Losing Weight” Leave a review of Fed and Fearless! Sign Up For The Free Training: The 5 Secrets of Fearlessly Healthy Women of Faith Learn more about business coaching with me Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

Since everyone’s situation is different, there is no single protocol that can address each person’s digestive issues. Today’s guest helps her clients heal their gut by building their own mindful eating habits through intuitive eating.   About Claire Carlton Claire Carlton is a Registered Dietitian specializing in nutrition for digestive disorders. She works with women 1-on-1 in her virtual private practice, Nourish with Claire. As a specialist in nutrition for gastrointestinal health, she guides clients through her signature Gut Health Blueprint framework to unearth the root of chronic symptoms and help them discover lasting wellness.  With a Master’s degree in Nutrition combined with additional training in the areas of Integrative and Functional Medicine Nutrition and Intuitive Eating, Claire has created a holistic approach that focuses on one’s relationship with food while integrating nutrition and lifestyle strategies that address the root cause of their health concerns. Her method allows clients to step away from diet culture while they create mindful and sustainable habits to support their health and wellness goals.   Recognize What Nourishment Means to You In this episode, Claire explains how she helps her clients get lasting results with a comprehensive approach. It starts with a thorough assessment to determine what’s going on in their gut and their relationship with food. Once it is understood what’s actually going on, Claire works with her clients to recognize their internal queues concerning how to nourish their bodies. Once that’s done, we can start learning and implementing habits that both fit into your lifestyle while providing healing relief.   Solutions Through Mindful Eating Claire has a lot of strategies that she uses to help strengthen the brain-gut connection. When you mindfully chew your food, notice aromas, and pay attention to the food's textures, flavors, and colors, digestion actually does improve. This all gets down to creating more awareness around the sensory experience that eating truly is.  Meditation is also a way to enhance the gut-brain connection. It forces us to slow down and come out of stress mode. Anything that engages the vagus nerve (which connects the gut and brain), such as gargling, singing, laughing, and taking cold showers can also help strengthen this important connection. What mindful practice can you start doing to help your digestive health? Leave a comment on the episode page!   Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!   In This Episode How Claire found her passion in intuitive eating and digestive health [3:35] Why functional nutrition and intuitive eating complement each other [7:18] The benefits and limitations of medical testing [9:58] Focusing on identity to help drive behavioral change [12:45] Behaviors that can lead to gut issues [16:30] How stress impacts gut health [22:10] Strategies to improve the gut-brain connection [25:02] Why bloating should not be normalized [27:35] How nutrition, mindfulness, and the microbiome come together to create better digestive health [31:24] Why intuitive eating is best when it’s individualized [35:30] Advice for learning how to work with gut health patients [39:52]   Quotes “When we can figure out what exactly is going on in a client’s gut, what imbalances are there, we can tailor interventions specifically for that rather than just continuing to guess and pull foods from their diet.” [9:19] “It’s not your fault that you’re binging or you’re ‘overeating’ at the end of the day. It’s a primal response to being under-nourished.” [18:30] “Tolerance to food is going to improve when you support the gut. Then you can bypass a lot of those restrictive diets working on your gut health and microbiome.” [38:08]   Review Fed and Fearless on Apple Podcasts! Send a screenshot of your review to hello@lauraschoenfeldrd.com or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you my Overcoming Undereating eBook. If you post your favorite episode in your Insta stories and tag me @LauraShoenfeldRD, I’ll also send you my 14-Day Calorie Challenge Recipe Guide!   Links Find Claire Carlton online Follow Claire on Instagram | Facebook Five Common Pitfalls That Actually Worsen Gut Health and What to Do Instead Insight Timer Headspace SIBO Academy Leave a review of Fed and Fearless! Sign Up For The Free Training: The 5 Secrets of Fearlessly Healthy Women of Faith Learn more about business coaching with me Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

For many in the nutrition business, running an event is a great way to connect with an audience and build credibility. There is a lot that goes into creating a successful event and not all of it is that obvious. As somebody who has run many events, my guest today has some great advice for anyone thinking of putting it on their own.   About Valerie Agyeman Valerie Agyeman is a Women’s Health Dietitian and Founder of Flourish Heights, a nutrition practice empowering women in health and wellness. She helps them understand the powerful relationship between what they eat and how their body looks, feels, and functions so they can make wiser, conscious choices, and establish a healthy relationship with food and their body. Through her platform, Valerie has organized workshops and events that have brought hundreds of women together locally and internationally to inspire change, educate, and build stronger, healthier communities.   Where to Start When Hosting an Event Whether in-person or virtual, live events are a great way to form connections. However, there are a lot of moving parts to arrange. Valerie explains how she coordinates between the many people involved to make it all come together.  Most of all, Valerie recommends just taking the plunge. If you want to run an event, try it out. You can start small with a short virtual event to test the waters and build your confidence. After that, you can build to something bigger as you see fit. The most important part is having the belief that you can make it happen.   The Many Benefits of Events We also discuss the many benefits of running events. First of all, they help connect you with your unique audience and make industry connections. They also establish you as an expert in your field and allow you to build a name for yourself. With events, you get to expand your reach and make a bigger impact on your community and beyond.  That is ultimately what inspires Valerie the most. The value she finds in helping a community is the best motivator of all. When your work is full of purpose, you’ll be inspired and empowered to continue doing more great things with your business. What benefits could you receive by hosting an event? Leave a comment on the episode page!   Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!   In This Episode How Valerie found her passion in women’s nutrition [7:00] The ability of workshops and events to create meaningful connections [12:15] The power of events to increase your impact [17:20] The different logistics and considerations between in-person and virtual events [22:50] What it was like to run an event in Ghana [28:12] Why self-confidence is the most important quality for putting on an event [38:45] Where to get support when running an event [43:20]   Quotes “If we really get a chance to know our bodies, that’s where we can become more confident and more empowered to live our best lives.” [13:39] “If something is on your heart - an idea or a plan or whatever - you just have to do it and don’t allow fear to become a barrier to executing wherever that idea is.” [37:53] “There’s nothing more powerful than just bringing people into a space to actually learn and grow and gain the knowledge to be their best selves.” [44:09] “We’re empowering women. We’re educating and just empowering them to nourish their bodies and build a healthier relationship with food... Wellness is not one area; it’s the whole you.” [49:50]   Review Fed and Fearless on Apple Podcasts! Send a screenshot of your review to hello@lauraschoenfeldrd.com or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you my Overcoming Undereating eBook. If you post your favorite episode in your Insta stories and tag me @LauraShoenfeldRD, I’ll also send you my 14-Day Calorie Challenge Recipe Guide!   Links Enroll in Business By Design Today!  Find Valerie Agyeman online Follow Valerie on Facebook | Twitter The Flourish Heights Podcast Nutrition Entrepreneurs Spring Summit Leave a review of Fed and Fearless! Sign Up For The Free Training: The 5 Secrets of Fearlessly Healthy Women of Faith Learn more about business coaching with me Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

Are you getting the right minerals? It’s common knowledge that minerals are an important part of a healthy diet. What isn’t as well known is how they affect hormonal health. Today’s guest is a wealth of information about the role of proper mineral balances and your health.   About Amanda Montalvo, RD Amanda Montalvo is a women’s health dietitian that helps women get to the root cause of hormone imbalances and have healthy menstrual cycles. Amanda started off her education in nutrition with the traditional route, but after dealing with her own health problems after getting off hormonal birth control she quickly realized the value of functional medicine. After healing her acne, balancing her hormones, and learning the value of her menstrual cycle, Amanda found her purpose to help women create a body in balance and not settle for anything less.   The Importance of Minerals and How to Test for Them In this episode, Amanda goes into depth on just how important your mineral levels are. There are also many things that can disrupt them, including common forms of birth control. But before you can properly treat a hormone deficiency, you need information. To that end, Amanda discusses testing, particularly hair mineral testing, and how it can give you and your practitioner a window into your health. If you find that you have period-related symptoms or a history of thyroid issues, a hair mineral test will likely be very informative. Often, modern diets lead to unnecessary confusion. For instance, many women are often told to consume more iron. Amanda explains why this is not good advice because our bodies actually recycle iron. What we need are the minerals and vitamins that help our bodies with this process.   Focus on Food, Not Supplements While many people turn to supplements to get their minerals, Amanda would rather you focus on what you’re eating. Taking supplements often leads to further imbalance. But when you and your practitioner focus on eating a properly balanced diet, you’ll get a well-rounded dose of what you need. What would you like to know about the minerals in your diet? Leave a comment on the episode page!   Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!   In This Episode How Amanda became an expert in women’s hormonal health [3:20] Why minerals are an integral part of hormonal health for women [7:00] The role of hair mineral tests in measuring your mineral levels and health [11:40] How to use your diet to maximize your mineral intake [22:50] Why iron deficiencies are not actually that common [24:30] Why Vitamin A more important than many think [33:45] Resources to take advantage of to improve your mineral levels [37:00] Considerations for using castor oil packs [46:22]   Quotes “Minerals are applicable no matter what. Whether you’ve been on birth control, had a copper IUD, or if you just have symptoms.” [9:49] “It’s really showing you the why. Why do you have that hormone result?”  [14:14] “I think that you can build your own and have a more balanced approach that’s not going to create more imbalances in your body, and you’ll actually absorb it.” [30:13]   Review Fed and Fearless on Apple Podcasts! Send a screenshot of your review to hello@lauraschoenfeldrd.com or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you my Overcoming Undereating eBook. If you post your favorite episode in your Insta stories and tag me @LauraShoenfeldRD, I’ll also send you my 14-Day Calorie Challenge Recipe Guide!   Links Get on the Business By Design Waitlist   Find Amanda Montalvo online Follow Amanda on Facebook | Instagram Master Your Minerals Course   “Vitamin A-making” by Pam Schoenfeld Queen of the Thrones - Castor Oil Pack Package  - Use code Amanda to save at check out Leave a review of Fed and Fearless! Sign Up For The Free Training: The 5 Secrets of Fearlessly Healthy Women of Faith Learn more about business coaching with me Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

Whether it’s your health, lifestyle, or business, there’s always room for improvement. But how do you set goals and measure that improvement in a sustainable and meaningful way? Today’s guest, an expert in helping people perform better, has those answers!   About Melanie Larkins Melanie Larkins brings wisdom from 30 years in athletics (as a player, referee, and coach), over 25 years as a practitioner in yoga, meditation, and martial arts, and 10 years as a yoga and meditation teacher. As a high-performance coach, Melanie integrates elements of meditation, yoga, martial arts, body conditioning, and music to help her clients harness the power of the mind to unlock the true potential of their bodies and reach peak performance. She guides elite athletes from being distracted and anxious high-achievers to becoming laser-focused champions.   Improvement Can Happen Anywhere Improving performance can happen in any part of your life. Whether it’s running faster, sleeping better, winning that big contract, bettering your work-life balance, or just about anything else, there are steps you can take towards improvement. Melanie explains how she helps her clients identify key performance indicators so that they can make a plan and keep track of their improvements.   Getting More Done by Doing Less Melanie shares some tips for those of us who are addicted to overworking. Of course, there’s important work to do to meet our goals. Yet, too often we work merely for the sake of staying busy. Melanie suggests that we overcome this through judicious use of timers and scheduling. This will help you set clear boundaries to maintain a healthier work-life balance.  We also discuss strategies for checking in with your emotions. When you can objectively observe your emotional and mental state, you can better know if it's time to take a break or not. Being devoted to a non-work-related activity is another useful tool that we talk about.   Simplicity is the Key Many times, we get in our own way to achieving goals by overcomplicating things. Melanie discusses what we can do to keep things simple in order to perform at a high level. This involves improving focus, setting boundaries, and prioritizing. When you’re only focusing on what’s really necessary, you’ll be more efficient and find yourself with more freedom to do what you truly love. What area of your life could you work to improve? Leave a comment on the episode page!   Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!   In This Episode How Melanie became a high-performance coach [5:00] How to determine your key performance indicators (KPIs) [9:00] The importance of allowing yourself to enjoy free time [17:00] Tips for avoiding overwork [20:55] Deciding how many KPIs are enough [25:54] Improving your performance by keeping things simple [33:08] Techniques for improving your performance right away [39:00]   Quotes “There’s always some sort of way to measure even things that are subjective. There’s still something.” [12:51] “You have to have some quiet. You have to have some time outside of that thing to give you new ideas. That’s how innovation usually happens.” [19:19] “The more you can get simplified, the more efficient you can actually be.”  [35:17]   Review Fed and Fearless on Apple Podcasts! Send a screenshot of your review to hello@lauraschoenfeldrd.com or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you my Overcoming Undereating eBook. If you post your favorite episode in your Insta stories and tag me @LauraShoenfeldRD, I’ll also send you my 14-Day Calorie Challenge Recipe Guide!   Links Get on the Business By Design waitlist! Find Melanie Larkins online Follow Melanie on Instagram Schedule your free connection call with Melanie Leave a review of Fed and Fearless! Sign Up For The Free Training: The 5 Secrets of Fearlessly Healthy Women of Faith Learn more about business coaching with me Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

Running a business is hard. However, there’s only one way to fail in it, and that’s to quit. Today, I’m joined by my coach, James Wedmore, to discuss how to ensure your success through cultivating a resilient entrepreneurial mindset.   About James Wedmore For the last 15 years, James has leveraged his expertise to help teach Digital CEOs how to build and scale their online businesses through courses and trainings like his signature program, Business By Design, other programs such as Sales Page By Design and Nail Your Niche, as well as many other business-building trainings inside of James’ abundant course library. Along with being notorious in the online space for his unrivaled online courses and content, James also facilitates Next Level, a strategic, group-coaching experience as well as his high-level Mastermind, The Inner Circle. When James isn't working, he can be found hiking, flipping homes for Airbnb, or off-roading through the rocky terrain of Sedona. His motto is simple: Work hard, play harder!   Why You Will Succeed If Your Never Give Up Personal development and how much we are willing to work on ourselves is really what allows us to have the business that we desire. Sure, learning and implementing sound business strategies is important. But it really comes down to mindset. Although entrepreneurship has its risks and challenges, if you are determined enough, you will make it. With this attitude in mind, James explains how to view your success as an inevitability. The problem is that many people give up too soon. You need to stick with it. With the right coaching, community, and support, your success will only arrive that much sooner.   Doing Less to Earn More It may seem counterintuitive, but as a business owner, the less you do, the more you’ll make. James explains why the role that you fill determines the results that you receive. This is because creating a business means creating many different roles. Filling all these roles yourself is only going to keep you extremely busy without leading to much actually getting done. So instead of spending the majority of your time in the roles that don’t actually earn the money, James wants us to determine what activities actually produce the most result and focus on those.   Seeing Yourself as the Key to Your Business’ Success We also talk about the difference between changing your business approach versus actual failure. Often, things won’t go the way you want. In fact, that’s an inevitable part of business. There will be setbacks. James reinforces the idea that you should never quit. Instead, when things go badly, look for opportunities to try a different approach. Understand that your most valuable asset is you. Your personal brand is what differentiates your business and will earn you a loyal following. If it comes time for you to pivot, the power of your own identity which you imbue into your business will mean that there’s a group of people who will follow you wherever you go. What do you see as your role inside your business? Leave a comment on the episode page!   Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!   In This Episode What led James into coaching and digital course creation [5:40] Seeing your success as an inevitability and your failures as an essential part of the process [12:30] What you should really be listening for when working with a coach [19:48] The difference of mindset between employee and entrepreneur [23:32] What happens when you identify the most important roles in your business [27:52] How to successfully pivot your business with the power of your personal brand [44:22] Why you are more important than the idea in your business [53:40] The most important measurement of success [58:50]   Quotes “Yes, it is going to be risky. Yes, it’s going to be challenging. Of course! But that’s what you signed up for. That’s what it’s about…. But we operate from a very simple principle that changed everything for me, which is that your success is inevitable…. It’s only a matter of time.” [12:41] “The employee says, ‘I’ll just work harder, longer, and faster.’ But the entrepreneur says, ‘I need to work less and spend more of that time in higher-elevated, more valuable roles that the business needs from me.’” [33:22] “Quitting is the only true failure that exists.” [47:17] “Are you willing to do those hard things? Are you willing to be uncomfortable? Are you willing to let go of the things that feel familiar and safe? Are you willing to get a little overwhelmed, a little confused, to feel outside your comfort zone? It doesn’t mean you can’t. Of course, you can. It’s just challenging. It pushes us. But as a result, we grow.” [52:26]   Review Fed and Fearless on Apple Podcasts! Send a screenshot of your review to hello@lauraschoenfeldrd.com or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you my Overcoming Undereating eBook. If you post your favorite episode in your Insta stories and tag me @LauraShoenfeldRD, I’ll also send you my 14-Day Calorie Challenge Recipe Guide!   Links Get on the Business By Design waitlist! Find James Wedmore online Follow James on Facebook | Instagram | YouTube Leave a review of Fed and Fearless! Sign Up For The Free Training: The 5 Secrets of Fearlessly Healthy Women of Faith Learn more about business coaching with me Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

Have you experienced an illness with symptoms that other people can’t see? The truth is that there are countless people who live in this world with invisible illnesses. Today’s guest shares her own story living with such a condition and how she helps others navigate a health care system that often leaves them out of the conversation.   About Morganne Skinner, RN Morganne is a registered nurse currently working in Public Health and has been a nurse for six years. Outside of work, Morganne can be found running or hiking trails. She qualified for the Boston Marathon and then left the country to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zambia. Morganne lived in Zambia for two years in a rural village with the Lunda tribe. She worked in all things development, public health, and agriculture. Her interests include all things women’s health and nutrition, inspired by her public health experience in Zambia and now along with her own health challenges with endometriosis.   Living With Invisible Illnesses So much of western medicine is based on what can be measured and observed. However, not all illnesses are observable. Endometriosis is one of these. There are times when people downplay these very real conditions or assume that they’re not even real, to begin with. Morganne explains the mental toll of this. To effectively communicate your needs, Morganne stresses the importance of trusting yourself and setting boundaries. The fact of the matter is you only have to disclose as much as you are comfortable with. At the same time, sharing what you’re comfortable sharing helps to normalize your experience and hopefully builds more empathy going forward.   Taking Charge of Your Health Sadly, many conditions like endometriosis do not receive the scientific attention they deserve. Too often this puts the onus on the patient themselves to search for information. There is certainly information out there, but understanding what is valid and what your doctor can help you with can be difficult to navigate. To that end, we talk about how you can equip yourself with the best information and work alongside your doctor to receive the help you need. If you have an invisible illness, what strategies have you found to communicate your needs? Leave a comment on the episode page!   Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!   In This Episode The complex nature of living with an invisible illness [4:45] Morganne’s experience receiving an endometriosis diagnosis [13:21] Teaching doctors and nurses to better listen to their patients [18:34] Dealing with the limitations of current medical knowledge [23:37] Strategies for effectively communicating your needs [34:30] Finding a positive angle when experiencing challenging conditions [41:20]   Quotes “A lot of people think of endometriosis as a woman’s problem or like menstrual cramps. But it’s a whole-body disease and it affects a lot.” [10:26] “I think it’s great for people to be involved in their care and to take responsibility and initiative. But also it should not fall one hundred percent on the patient.” [25:09] “There’s no one size fits all for endometriosis and I might not have understood that to the degree that I do now had I not gone through my own experience.” [45:04]   Review Fed and Fearless on Apple Podcasts! Send a screenshot of your review to hello@lauraschoenfeldrd.com or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you my Overcoming Undereating eBook. If you post your favorite episode in your Insta stories and tag me @LauraShoenfeldRD, I’ll also send you my 14-Day Calorie Challenge Recipe Guide!   Links Sign up for 100 Leads in 30 Days Find Morganne Skinner, RN online Follow Morganne on Instagram Leave a review of Fed and Fearless! Sign Up For The Free Training: The 5 Secrets of Fearlessly Healthy Women of Faith Learn more about business coaching with me Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

I bet nearly everyone has had expectations of what their body should look like or be able to do. These ideas come from many places, unusually external and unhealthy ones. Yet, when you fail to live up to them, grief and unhealthy habits commonly result. Today’s guest helps her clients reframe how they understand their bodies so that they can build new healthier mindsets and practices.   About Steph Prangley Steph Prangley is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and owner of Infinity Hill Nutrition, a virtual private practice specializing in women’s hormone health. She helps women with PCOS gain energy, improve ovulation, and stabilize moods so they can accomplish all of their important life goals while being fully present in their relationships. Steph believes it’s possible to gain freedom from the painful and embarrassing symptoms of PCOS by reframing body grief to body acceptance and learning how to trust your body and read its signals. With compassion and kindness, she gently guides her clients with mindset work, nutrition, lifestyle, and their own intuition to build body trust and successfully manage symptoms for the long run.   Reversing the Disconnection Between You and Your Body Body grief gets in the way of healing. It removes you from the present moment as you grieve for the loss of some imaginary future or the way your body used to be. Steph describes how this disconnect can be reversed by accepting and honoring your body. Once this is achieved, you can learn how to listen to what your body is telling you. When you understand your body’s signals you can cut through all the outside noise of society, positive changes will follow. With this comes the understanding that healing is not only possible, but you’re in control of it.   An Intuitive Approach to Healing As you can imagine, mindset is central to this. It’s important to remember that just because somebody has an “ideal” body, it doesn’t mean that they’re happy. Detaching your emotional state from health outcomes while also working towards your goal is the key here.  Steph teaches her clients to do this by helping them hone their intuitive senses. When you find yourself craving food or feeling a certain way, it’s time to stop and examine the source of those feelings. This approach helps you remove self-judgment and identify healthy choices for your body. How can you start intuitively listening to your body’s signals? Leave a comment on the episode page!   Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!   In This Episode How Steph found a passion in helping women with their hormonal health [4:28] What body grief is and why it interferes with healing [14:26] Giving yourself permission to be okay with your body’s current state [20:38] Achieving the balance of being content with the present moment while still pursuing your goals [27:36] Building body trust through cultivating intuition [34:41]   Quotes “People always say to say no to the things that aren’t serving you. But when you have to say no to the things that you love doing, that’s a whole new level of grief, or emotional grief that you have to deal with.” [15:34] “Humans are messy and we make mistakes. Our life changes. Thankfully we’re adaptable and we can ebb and flow with that. I think we get into trouble when we try to make things flat and straight with no variability.” [24:32] “You’re the only expert in your body. I can’t even really tell you what to eat. I can give you education on the science behind nutrients and what we know about how all of these things play into our health overall, but the only long-term strategy we can have is getting in touch with the inner-self.” [47:16]   Review Fed and Fearless on Apple Podcasts! Send a screenshot of your review to hello@lauraschoenfeldrd.com or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you my Overcoming Undereating eBook. If you post your favorite episode in your Insta stories and tag me @LauraShoenfeldRD, I’ll also send you my 14-Day Calorie Challenge Recipe Guide!   Links Sign up for 100 Leads in 30 Days Find Steph Prangley online Follow Steph on Facebook | Instagram Download the FREE Guide: The 3 BIGGEST Mistakes to Avoid With PCOS PCOS Freedom Academy Use this coupon code FEARLESS before June 30 to save $150 Leave a review of Fed and Fearless! Sign Up For The Free Training: The 5 Secrets of Fearlessly Healthy Women of Faith Learn more about business coaching with me Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

Doctors often say that IBS is a life-long condition. But does not have to be true. What people often fail to do is identify and treat the underlying causes of their gut problem. Today’s guest is here to share how she helps her patients get to the root cause of their IBS so that they can make lasting healing changes.   About Abigail Hueber, RD Abigail Hueber is an Integrative Functional Dietitian and owner of the private practice Above Health Nutrition. She received her undergraduate degree from Gettysburg College in the field of Health and Exercise Sciences and completed her graduate studies in nutrition at Simmons College. Abby has completed various advanced trainings in functional medicine, including a mentorship with functional medicine doctors and comprehensive immersion programs. Abby is an expert in digestive health which includes IBS, SIBO, acid reflux, chronic constipation or diarrhea, and other various GI symptoms and concerns. She also specializes in skin health through healing the digestive system for skin symptoms which include eczema, rosacea, acne, keratosis pilaris, and other skin-gut-related conditions. Abby leads speaking series and events for organizations and corporate wellness programs on a variety of health and wellness topics.   Why Gut Problems Can’t Be Ignored At least one in five people experience digestion problems. Yet, these are often dismissed as just mildly annoying symptoms. Abby explains how ignoring gut issues often leads to any number of other health issues. That’s why it’s important to treat the root causes of digestion problems. The tricky part is identifying what is wrong in the first place. It’s not enough to just cut out certain foods. In fact, elimination diets don’t really fix anything. They can even cause problems if continued for too long.   The Common Causes of GI Issues Abby explains what the three generalized root causes of IBS are. There can be many different factors at play, but Abby finds that it usually involves one or more just three situations. The first is digestive insufficiency - when someone is not producing or excreting the optimal digestive substances. Sometimes there’s dysbiosis or a GI infection at play. Inflammation is also a common culprit. Once you know what’s going on in the gut, you can make a roadmap for healing. Sometimes these can be remediated with lifestyle changes, like slowing down and thoroughly chewing food. Targeted supplement protocols can also help to reverse some of the problems. That’s why it’s useful to work closely with a practitioner who understands how to help you help your digestive system. How have you approached GI issues in your life? Leave a comment on the episode page!   Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!   In This Episode How Abby found a career in helping people resolve chronic gut issues [8:03] Why your digestive system impacts many other parts of your health [11:00] Why you shouldn’t think of food as the trigger of IBS [14:00] The reasons many people falsely believe that IBS is a lifelong condition [19:10] The three general root causes of IBS [23:18] What happens when we eat more mindfully and chew properly [31:30] How to identify the root cause of your gut problem with functional medicine [44:29] Getting support through group programs [46:45]   Quotes “Food can certainly be a tool in a treatment protocol that can help to alleviate some of these symptoms while we get to the root cause… but it is not a tool that we can use to fully heal a digestive system.” [16:36] “We do need to create a lifestyle shift around the way that we eat in order to optimally digest our food.” [24:30] “We really want to identify in someone’s unique body which of those three are that root cause and then in those three categories, what exactly is really going on.” [27:28]   Review Fed and Fearless on Apple Podcasts! Send a screenshot of your review to hello@lauraschoenfeldrd.com or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you my Overcoming Undereating eBook. If you post your favorite episode in your Insta stories and tag me @LauraShoenfeldRD, I’ll also send you my 14-Day Calorie Challenge Recipe Guide!   Links Sign up for 100 Leads in 30 Days Find Abby Hueber Online Follow Abby on Linkedin | Instagram No Drama Digestion 15-min discovery calls Leave a review of Fed and Fearless! Sign Up For The Free Training: The 5 Secrets of Fearlessly Healthy Women of Faith Learn more about business coaching with me Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative