The Nourished CEO Podcast

Could you be undereating and not even know it? If you have more than one of the most common signs and symptoms I’m talking about today, you might need to take a look at your caloric intake! SIGNS YOU MAY BE UNDEREATING First of all, you need to know exactly what the role of the hormone, cortisol, is in your body. It’s also known as the stress hormone and it absolutely has an effect on your appetite. We also need to understand some baselines for what some of the circumstances are that could actually lead to you undereating. Did you know that it’s possible to eat so few calories that you actually stop losing weight? This is one of the reasons why so many people believe they can’t be undereating since their weight isn’t going down, which leads them to eat even fewer calories.  I’m talking about 12 signs that you could be undereating on this episode. You should be having a bowel movement at least once a day. If it’s less often, this could be a sign that you’re not eating enough calories. Another sign is if you’re cold all the time since your body isn’t getting enough calories to keep it warm. One of the biggest signs of undereating, and one that I work with a lot of women for, is the lack of a menstrual cycle. If you’re malnourished, your body will think that you’re not in a position to have and raise children, common during times of famine, so will naturally stop producing a period. Have you ever found that after thinking a lot, you’re feeling even more tired than if you do physical activity? This is because your brain uses glucose, a type of sugar, to function - and thinking can take a lot out of you! The last sign is a surprising one: getting up to pee during the night, even once, could indicate a lack of calories in your diet. When you’re eating enough, you should be sleeping through the night with your bladder, along with all your other organs, resting, too.  Are you finding yourself checking off more than one of the items on this list? Are you someone who used to feel this way and find that eating more helped resolve these issues? Let me know in the comments 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 cortisol’s role in our body is What some of the circumstances are the could lead to undereating How a lack of weight loss might not be an indication that you’re not undereating How many times a day you should go to the bathroom What your basal body temperature should never drop below How inadequate calorie intake can affect your menstrual cycle Why we feel more tired when we are thinking a lot What it can mean if you’re getting up to pee during the night   Quotes “If undereating is creating a chronic stress response in your body, dropping those stress hormones by eating more is something that initially can make you feel more tired.” (19:32) “The truth is that being underfed chronically keeps your nervous system in a fight or flight mode. So, essentially you’re body is going to think anything that’s a threat is going to be much larger a threat than it actually is and it’s going to have that heightened stress response, even in the face of simple daily stressors..” (37:22) “In a perfect world, if we’re not having any stress at all, our cortisol should be at it’s highest point within 30 minutes of waking up. So if you’re having a spike in cortisol at night when you’re supposed to be asleep, this can actually wake you and your organs up.” (45:31)   Links Join my Free Webinar: How To Get A Regular Period Without Birth Control Find Fed and Fearless Online 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

Follow Jesus, not diet culture! Is this the best advice you could ever get? I think so, and so does Erin Todd, the Ginger in Progress, who joins me today to talk about how intuitive eating can help you feel closer in your relationship with God. Ditching Diet Culture  Erin has a long history of dieting and restrictive eating that actually led to a number of health problems. She was told by doctors she was intolerant to an incredible amount of foods and had to try elimination diets. It was at this point when she heard the Holy Spirit urge her to investigate intuitive eating. Erin believes that society’s obsession with dieting is akin to idolism. And when you’re so focused on, worshipping, and devoting your life to something like dieting, you’re not connecting with God the way a Christian woman should. By rejecting that obsessive diet mentality, you can actually embrace and strengthen your identity in Christ. Take the extra time to worship, pray, and repent for the time you spent straying from God.  At the same time, we both believe that your health and fitness journey can be an extension of your relationship with God. By treating your body well, you are keeping your image of God healthy. It’s when your health and fitness routine turns into an obsession that your heart can stray. Erin explains what the difference between healthy and unhealthy discipline is, and how when you have healthy discipline habits, you can feel closer to God. This belief is in line with some of the reasons Erin follows an intuitive approach to eating, where she eats what and when her body tells her to. Erin describes the feelings she had when she quit dieting for good as incredible and freeing. Are you ready to let go of your dieting obsession to walk closer to God? Let me know in the comments on the episode page!   In This Episode How dieting can cause health issues What the relationship between dieting and idolism is How rejecting the diet mentality can help you embrace your identity in Christ How your approach to health and fitness can be an extension of your relationship with God What the difference between healthy and unhealthy discipline is How intuitive eating can help you feel closer to God’s guidance What it feels like when you stop dieting   Quotes “As soon as I did the leap of faith into intuitive eating and surrendered all of the dieting idols, I could eat all the foods I was ‘intolerant of’ immediately.” (10:51) “We all just want a clear cut, quick-fix answer of ‘what do I have to do to be healthy?’, but it doesn’t work like that! You have to ask, not just what’s right for you, but what’s right for you in this season of life? And let the Spirit lead you in that. Because what’s right for you is not necessarily what’s right for me.” (27:15) “God created our bodies, it’s a good design, He knows what He’s doing. It’s safe to listen to our bodies. I feel like diet culture disconnects you from your body and tells you to not trust your body.” (35:34)   Links Find Erin Todd Online Find Intuitive Eating for Christian Women Online Follow Erin Todd on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest Running an online health business? Apply for my Inner Circle Mastermind 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  

Hypothalamic amenorrhea is a condition where women don’t get their period for several months to many years. Kelly Pourciau joins me to talk about how she healed her amenorrhea and had all her babies naturally. She also officially takes the crown for how long she went without her period: 16 years!  HEALING FROM AMENORRHEA First, we all need to understand that there are four main domains that amenorrhea impact: exercise, stress, diet, and genetics. But, even though we might have a natural prevalence for hormonal issues, there are things we actively participate in, such as overexercising and undereating, that can contribute to the root cause of our amenorrhea. Kelly shares her story, from not having her period for 16 years to almost fostering an infant, to getting naturally pregnant after her church community prayed for her. And while Kelly knows God influenced her pregnancy, she did take matters into her own hands to help heal herself, too. Starting with diet changes that helped her eventually get her period back. Kelly believes that her type-A personality and perfectionism played a part in how she dealt with, and maybe even contributed to, her amenorrhea over the years. It was only when she decided to put her full faith in God that her symptoms eased and she became pregnant. Kelly also explains how she views the challenges that God set her and how she has grown and evolved as a person because of them. Your body can actually reclaim your period pretty quickly when you start doing the right things. We see this over and over again with the women in my Get Your Period Back Program. Yes, even if you haven’t had your period for 16 years, it’s possible to get it back! Lastly, Kelly and I talk about the relationship between food, diet, exercise, mental health, and God is. We believe the balance between everything is vital to long-term health and well-being. Do you get a regular period? How long has it been since your last period? Would you describe yourself as a perfectionist? Let me know in the comments 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 the four main domains of amenorrhea are What diet changes you can make to help get your period back How your relationship with God can impact your perfectionism How God can use your challenge to help you grow and evolve How quickly you can get your period back when you do the right things What the relationship between food, mental health, and God is   Quotes “Sometimes you just have to look into yourself and realize that it’s not something you can blame on autoimmune disease or whatever, there’s something I need to stare at myself and with God and wrestle through to find the root of the issues.” (25:58) “The point is that we can’t make this assumption that we are in control of our bodies because we’re not. And I think that desire to be in control actually leads to a lot of the problematic behaviors that actually do affect our health and our quality of life.” (41:53) “If I can have both of my kids, have my fertility, and have my bone health, I absolutely believe, if you’re listening to this and you have amenorrhea and you’re wondering if it can happen to you, that yes. It can.” (45:29)   Links Follow Kelly Pourciau on Instagram Join my Free Webinar: How To Get A Regular Period Without Birth Control Find Fed and Fearless Online 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

When you’re experiencing infertility, you need to hold on to two thoughts: You are not alone in this and there is always hope. Andrea Myers Miller joins me to talk about her journey through infertility, becoming a natural mom of three, and following God’s vision for her life to help other women who are having fertility issues. Finding Hope With Infertility  Andrea shares her own experience with infertility, her gut feeling that something was wrong, her experiences with doctor recommended IVF and her constant trust and relationship with God that helped her through this difficult time in her life. When Andrea decided she didn’t want to try medical intervention for infertility, she explored more holistic approaches, and within 6 months, was pregnant with her first child.  After the birth of her second child, Andrea felt called by God to share her infertility experience with social media. This is how her business, Pregnancy Acquired, began. She knows the power of prayer and collective well-being can help with infertility and encourages her clients to reach out and ask for prayer and community.  But Andrea also shares her trust in God’s plan, His work, and knowing when you need to take action to make it happen. God doesn’t always work in mysterious ways, sometimes He works by bringing a certain person or experience into your life at the right moment. Andrea is also a firm believer in the power of hope and explains how she held on to hope through her struggles, even when others in the infertility community had lost theirs. It’s the support we have through difficult and trying times that really helps us through them. Whether that’s our church community, our doctors, partners, family, friends, or online support groups, finding and holding onto that support is essential. When we exist in a more hopeful and supported state, we’re in a much better position to see positive outcomes from our harder times. Andrea explains how our lifestyle of convenience and toxins has a big impact on our fertility levels. She encourages her clients to change their lifestyle so they can live a more abundant and healthy life. She is also adamant that, if you are going through infertility, to examine all the options that are out there before coming to a decision - IVF isn’t the only way to become pregnant. Are you experiencing infertility? How do you trust that God is looking out for you? I’d love it if you shared in the comments on the episode page.   In This Episode How having a relationship with God can help you through difficult times in your pregnancy journey What happens when you listen to what God wants you to do with your life How our current lifestyle is impacting overall levels of infertility What the power of prayer is when it comes to infertility Where the balance between God’s work and your action lies How hope can carry you through difficult times Why it’s essential to have good support when you’re going through infertility What happens when you’re in a more hopeful state Why, if you are working through fertility issues, you should be aware of all the options available to you How we can change our lifestyle in order to live a more abundant and healthy life   Quotes “I believe that even if one partner has been given the clean bill of health, there are always ways to optimize health for both individuals .” (21:45) “There is hope. No matter how rough and bad things look, the tough days you just feel like giving up, wondering what the point of all this is, it’s so important to hope and to just take another step forward. Walk into what God has in store for us, because it is good things.” (38:44) “At the end of the day, no matter what happens in life, we need to be able to say, ‘God is still good.’” (54:44)   Links Join Andrea’s Free Masterclass: How My Clients With Infertility Conceive Naturally Find Andrea Myers Miller Online Follow Andrea Myers Miller on Instagram | Facebook Running an online health business? Apply for my Inner Circle Mastermind 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  

With so much information out there about health and fitness, from coaches encouraging shame and “no pain, no gain” approaches to others telling you to ditch diet culture completely, it can be hard to feel comfortable with wanting to change your body while still loving yourself. HOW TO LOVE YOUR BODY WHILE CHANGING IT In this episode of Fed and Fearless, I’m offering an alternative to that either/or of diet and anti-diet culture. By employing these 9 tips, you can love your body while still achieving your health and fitness-related goals, without guilt. We need to learn to be kind to ourselves. Imagine if other people spoke to us the way our inner critic can? We absolutely wouldn’t put up with it from them, so why do we allow ourselves to be so mean? And while we’re breaking up with things, it’s time to ditch the obsession with your scale. I don’t mean you have to never weigh yourself again, but if you attach negative feelings or get upset by what the number is, maybe you shouldn’t be using the scale in your journey. You should curate your social media feed so that it’s not filled with images that make you feel ashamed or guilty. It also shouldn’t be an echo chamber of people who are never changing. Your social media feeds should inspire you and fill you with positivity. Embarking on a health and fitness goal isn’t always going to be easy. Learning to love the harder parts is all part of the journey - and I’m not talking about that “no pain, no gain” sentiment. And you should absolutely be grateful for what your body can do right now - you’re alive, right?  In fact, I’d say that your health and fitness goals shouldn’t be the most important thing in your life. You should be honoring and prioritizing your values and hobbies above anything else. This helps you feel content about where you are now, even if you do have bigger health goals in mind. Finally, ditch the guilt from whoever or wherever it’s coming from about wanting to achieve your health goals. You deserve to focus on the goals that feel good to you! And that includes embracing the entire journey to get there… whether you actually make your goals or not. Which of these 9 tips is the most practical for you to start implementing? Which one are you the most excited about? Which tip has impacted you the most? Let me know in the comments 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 Why you need to be kind to ourselves and lose the negative self-talk What happens when you break up with your scale obsession How you can curate your social media feed to make you feel inspired and positive about yourself Why you should embrace the harder parts of making a change How you can cultivate gratitude for what your body can do right now What happens when you put your values and hobbies before your health and fitness goals How you can be content and appreciate today without abandoning your goals Why you should ditch the guilt surrounding your health and fitness goals How you can embrace who you’re becoming while pursuing your goals   Quotes “Being kind to yourself is not only going to make you feel about your body and about who you are, but it’s also going to help you be more effective in reaching your goals and changing your body.” (8:28) “Failure is not something that is only happening to you. To be able to reach your health goal means that you have to be able to willing to embrace these failures.” (19:34) “Whatever your goal is when it comes to your health and your body, it’s nobody else’s business to tell you what your goal should be. I want you to give yourself permission to pursue the goals that are meaningful to you.” (34:51)   Links Book a Functional Nutrition Strategy Session Find Fed and Fearless Online 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

There are myriad causes for your chronic skin issues with just as many different approaches to help cure them. It’s all about finding what works for you. Jennifer Fugo, a clinical nutritionist specializing in skin issues, joins me to talk about how our diets do - or don’t - link to our skin problems. How Your Diet Can Impact Your Skin Health With so many different approaches, it’s hard to know which is actually the right way to treat your skin conditions. Jen explains why medical interventions are helpful, when you’re using them correctly, and shouldn’t be discounted for natural or homeopathic approaches which don’t always work, either.  Jen shares her relationship with gluten but says that gluten isn’t the root cause of everyone with skin issues problem. Yes, some people have a gluten sensitivity, but you shouldn’t immediately cut out gluten from your diet to help treat your chronic skin issues. In fact, there are at least 16 causes of skin issues that Jen has found and only one of them is diet-related. When her clients come to her, many have been on restrictive and exclusionary diets for years with no improvement to their skin health. It may be that your skin issues have nothing to do with what food you’re eating but rather how your gut functions.  Healing your skin issues might not be as simple as putting a doctor-prescribed cream on. But you have to understand that it can take a while for your skin to clear up… Many people feel discouraged and give up after just a couple of weeks with a new treatment. Finally, Jen gives us some advice. Women should be eating around 70 grams of protein every day. Coconut oil isn’t the miracle cure many people claim it is. And you should always question the nutrition advice that’s out there, both on the internet and from your doctor. Healing your skin issues is possible. There is hope out there. Don’t give up. Do you have skin issues? Have you felt discouraged with them? What have you found work in relieving them? Let me know in the comments on the episode page.   In This Episode Why you shouldn’t discount medical interventions for skin issues, but learn how to use them correctly for you What the truth about gluten in your diet is What the 16 causes of skin issues are How you can overuse restrictive diets Why you need to consider how your gut functions Why you can’t just assume a cream is going to fix your skin issues How long it can take to clear skin issues and why you shouldn’t feel discouraged after a couple of weeks How much protein the average woman should eat every day What the problem with coconut oil is Why you should always ask questions   Quotes “You have to think about the level of suffering that someone is going through and making sure that they’re educated but not scared to death, because that’s not fair. Everyone has the right to be educated and we shouldn’t shame anyone.” (16:23) “You can’t do one thing, you can’t make one little change and assume that because you have these problems and you read somewhere online that if you have skin issues it’s tied to leaky gut and if you take out these foods, your gut will heal. That’s not realistic.” (23:53) “I don’t think your body betrayed you. I think it’s just been trying to talk to you and we’re kind of conditioned at this point to think that symptoms that we experience are inconveniences rather than this deeper calling from somewhere inside letting you know that something’s wrong.” (53:17)   Links Find Jennifer Fugo Online Follow Jennifer Fugo on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube Join the Faith Over Fear 5 Day Challenge Find out how to use James Clear’s book in your CEUs Learn more about Atomic Habits by James Clear   Running an online health business? Apply for my Inner Circle Mastermind 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  

Pelvic floor issues can impact men and women of any age, whether they’ve experienced a pregnancy or not. When one scientist and personal trainer found she had severe pelvic floor problems and was told she couldn’t train anymore, she was determined to find a better way. Sarah Smith joins me to talk about what the pelvic floor is, what it does, and how we can support our pelvic floor health throughout our lives.   ALL ABOUT PELVIC HEALTH  Sarah explains what some of the symptoms of the two types of pelvic floor conditions are. From pain during sex to urine or fecal leakage, there are quite a number of things you need to watch out for.  If you think you might have pelvic floor trouble, it’s easy to want to turn to Dr. Google to solve all your problems. But all those Kegel exercises might actually be doing more harm than good. It’s always a good idea to get medical advice from someone trained in pelvic floor health to advise on the best corrective exercises for you. Sarah shares some reasons why women, and men, might have pelvic floor trouble even if they’ve never been pregnant before. It’s a common misconception that only people who have given birth experience issues, and that’s exactly why there’s a lot of stigma around talking about the pelvic floor.  Sarah also gives us some incredible and practical tips that we can start doing today that will improve our pelvic floor health and, hopefully, prevent future issues. Having a regular, active routine that’s not full of high-intensity training is so beneficial. And don’t discount the power of going for a walk - it’s good for your physical health, as it’s gentle on your body, and it has so many mental and emotional benefits as well. How do you protect your pelvic floor health when you’re training? Do you maintain a regular, active routine? What do you wish you knew more about your pelvic health? Let us know on the comments 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 Where the pelvic floor is and what it does What some symptoms of pelvic floor issues are How corrective exercises can actually impair your pelvic floor function What other factors might trigger pelvic floor issues outside pregnancy What practical steps you can take, starting today, to improve your pelvic floor health Why walking should be part of your workout routine   Quotes “If you can’t coordinate your breath and your alignment with your movement then if you create a lot of pressure in your abdomen, then absolutely when you’re exercising or when you laugh, cough, or make any kind of sudden movement or if there’s too much tension, it can cause leaking of urine or feces.”  (17:36) “Redesigning your movement practice and knowing that long-term, whether we’re talking gut health, mental health, or pelvic health, having options in movement that are somewhere between sitting on the couch, chair, or car and working really, really hard at the gym is going to be helpful for a lot of different things.” (32:13) “We have to understand our bodies. We don’t have to get PhDs in anatomy and physiology or neuroscience, but we have to have a fundamental understanding, especially as women, physiologically about how our menstrual cycle, our hormones, our gut responds to all these choices we’re making so we can make informed decisions and we can notice the red flags.” (59:46)   Links Breathe Like A Bad Ass Find Sarah Smith Online Follow Sarah Smith on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube | Vimeo  Running an online health business? Apply for my Inner Circle Mastermind Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Get Fed and Fearless - Doors open til January 16th Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest

Setting and maintaining good habits and breaking habits that aren’t serving you can be an extremely difficult process. So many of us will have made some new year’s resolutions that look like new habits and I know how hard it is to keep them. If you’re already wavering or just need a little support, this episode on effectively changing your habits is for you.    HOW TO CHANGE YOUR HABITS Before I start talking about how to change your habits, I explain what some of our unconscious habits are. Habits like brushing your teeth, putting your shoes on, and turning the light on when you go in a room. What makes these habits so natural? There are four different aspects that help us create lasting habits. From having a craving to the feeling the habit ultimately rewards us with, habits are intrinsically linked to a positive mental or bodily response. And let’s not gloss over the fact that we need to have some sort of craving, either good or not so good, in order to develop a long-term habit. Creating long-term habits form when you stick at something for a period of time… and the easier we can make it for ourselves the better. Think about ways you can positively reinforce the habit - is it leaving your running shoes beside the front door? Wearing a fitness tracker? Or even building an at-home gym?  The same goes for habits you’re trying to break. I’m a firm believer in the out of sight, out of mind philosophy to help remove habits that aren’t suiting you anymore. For me, it’s been candy, as I know that long-term this won’t serve me in any positive ways. So I make sure I don’t keep any candy in the house - but this doesn’t mean I never indulge, I just consciously decide how to eat candy. Finally, I go through some questions you can ask yourself if you’re struggling with your habits. Whether you’re trying to make or break them, getting deep into your reasoning for creating the change can help you stick it out long-term. Did you set any new years resolutions? How are they going? Are there any habits you’re trying to break?  Let us know on the comments 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 some of our unconscious habits are What feelings can lead to creating habits Why you need to have a craving in order to form a habit What happens when you create a new habit in a very obvious way How you can adopt the “out of sight, out of mind” philosophy to help break bad habits What questions you should ask yourself if you’re struggling to make or break a habit   Quotes “Everything that we do is more or less a habit in some way, shape, or form. Of course, we can learn new habits and we can eliminate old habits but, at the end of the day, our behavior is largely driven by these habits, whether they’re conscious or not.” (8:58) “In the future, the craving is going to continuously be strengthened because you have experienced a reward that created a positive change in your internal state, even if it’s short-lived.” (17:18) “There are lots of different ways that you can make not good, or not desireable, habits more difficult to do, and that can make it start to be less likely that you’ll do the thing you’re trying to stop doing.” (39:19) “Not all of your habits have to be fun in order to be valuable and worthwhile to you but it certainly helps if you can make them more fun.” (50:48)   Links Join the Faith Over Fear 5 Day Challenge Learn more about Atomic Habits by James Clear 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

Being fed and fearless is more than just nourishing and healing your body, it’s about learning to listen to and trust it. Alyssa Chang joins me to talk about how we can all learn to befriend our bodies in order to have a better, healthier relationship with it. Because sometimes, we have to think of our body as not a part of ourselves, but a separate entity that’s connected to us, that we can speak to, listen to, and learn from.   BEFRIENDING YOUR BODY Alyssa explains how over the years she has trained herself to check-in with her body. Coming from a very athletic background, competitive volleyball followed by shape competitions, she quite literally put her body through the mill. After so long restricting and restraining her eating habits, spending obsessive hours at the gym, and ignoring what her body actually wants and needs, it was a process that didn’t take place overnight. When Alyssa first stopped her intensive regime, she, and actually many of my private clients, felt overwhelmed and exhausted in her rest. At first, she thought this was because she had more energy training, but she’s learned it was actually because her body was living in a state of fight or flight, and when she finally let it rest, the constant adrenaline had a chance to relax. Alyssa now works with her clients to define their values before they embark on any new health and fitness journey. If your regimen doesn’t align with your true core values, then why are you doing it? Another point Alyssa makes sure to emphasize when it comes to befriending your body is learning how to breathe properly. When you’re breathing deeply and regularly, incorporating an appropriate movement therapy, your body will feel more in alignment. And more than this, your body won’t crave comfort foods the way it does when you’re in a constant state of stress. If you find that you’re binging on a box of cookies at night time, it’s easy to fall into a cycle where you’ll be “good” all day the next day. But being “good” all day usually leads to undereating. Your body will then demand you make up the calories you’ve lost throughout the day, and that’s where the cookies come in. You need to break this cycle by nourishing your body properly throughout the entire day. What are you saying no to so that you can say yes to your health and fitness goals? How do you check-in with your body on a daily basis? When’s the last time you’ve noticed the way you’re breathing? Let us know on the comments 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 Why you need to listen to and trust your body How you can train yourself to check-in with your body on how it’s feeling Why you might feel overwhelmed and exhausted after doing some intense self-work How defining your values has a big impact on your fitness and health journey What your breathing should actually look like for optimal health How breathing and movement therapy can change what foods you’re craving How restrictive eating can lead to a cyclical pattern of overeating or binging   Quotes “It always comes down to, ‘well does it really align to what matters to you and does this provide your life meaning?’” (22:44) “You want to think about breathing fully, deeply, efficient breaths as like actually giving your internal organs a little massage.” (29:10) “I honestly feel like there will be intuitive responses that we will do as a deeply rooted need to keep us alive. So sometimes being on a very restrictive plan and falling off every so often is our body reaching a certain threshold of not being able to function anymore.” (37:15)   Links Find Alyssa Chang Online Follow Alyssa Chang on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube  Running an online health business? Apply for my Inner Circle Mastermind Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here! Get Fed and Fearless - Doors open til January 16th Join the Fed and Fearless Society on Facebook Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest

Building a business online comes with a unique set of hurdles many coaches face, especially when it comes to sharing health and wellness advice. I’m joined by Steph Gaudreau, author of The Core 4, podcast host of Harder to Kill Radio, nutritional therapist, and founder of Stupid Easy Paleo, about navigating these waters with purpose, protecting your own health, and encouraging other women to live in alignment with their best health.   ABOUT STEPH GAUDREAU Steph and I have a very similar approach when it comes to health, nutrition, and coaching. We believe in asking the right questions, guiding our clients, and encouraging them to ask themselves the hard questions. Because let’s face it, there’s a very fine line between disordered eating and eating for true, balanced health and wellness. Losing weight is often a priority amongst our clients, but it’s usually not the first or only aspect you should focus on. If you want to lose weight, do it for yourself and your health, not for whatever expectations society has put on you. And ask yourself exactly why you want to lose weight, because your answer is actually so important. There’s a certain power that comes with logging your food, calories, and macros, but it can have both positive and negative impacts on your health. For some, knowing how much they have to eat and eating to these targets is incredibly healthy and helps them make sure they’re eating enough or not overeating. Yet, for others, it’s too restrictive and controlling, and this is where disordered eating is born. When you’re eating for your health and to improve certain aspects of your health and wellness, the scale might not move, and that’s perfectly okay. There are more important aspects of your health than what you weigh, and when you’re taking steps to improve your overall health, the scale should not be the be-all and end-all. Steph and I both offer so much free health and wellness advice through our Facebook groups, YouTube channels, Instagram, Website, and more. But there does come a point where the free stuff doesn’t cut it anymore. It’s a hard decision, but what is it worth to be free of this thing that you’re struggling with or have this transformation that you’ve been unable to do yourself? Sometimes, it’s just time to invest in coaching. Are you eating for your own health and wellness or society’s standards? Why do you want to lose weight? Have you, or do you, use a food tracker? Let us know on the comments 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 you can move forward with your purpose while protecting your health Where the balance between healthy and disordered eating is Why you should lose weight for yourself and your health and not society’s expectations Why you need to consider why you want to lose weight How tracking your food, calories, and macros can be both a positive and negative tool  Why the scale doesn’t have to move for you to improve your health What the value of paying for coaching or nutritional help is   Quotes “Just because somebody is licensed or has education in a particular area does not guarantee their competence. We have to develop critical thinking.” (32:48) “Whatever it is that you want to achieve, you always have to think of the energetic and the financial change. You may be able to do it yourself, but what’s it going to cost you in time?” (59:08) “Information is an important piece of this thing that you want to achieve, but it’s really the action and application where you’re going to see the most results.” (59:37) “I know it’s hard, I know you might need resources, but at some point, what is it worth to be free of this thing that you’re struggling with or have this transformation that you’ve been unable to do yourself?” (1:06:18)   Links Join the Core 4 Club - Steph’s Free Facebook Group Find Steph Gaudreau Online Follow Steph Gaudreau on Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter | YouTube  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