In this episode we’re chatting with Phoebe Lapine about autoimmune disease, Hashimotos Thyroiditis, finding middle ground when it comes to health, and her book, The Wellness Project. Phoebe is a food and health writer, wellness personality, gluten-free chef, culinary instructor, recipe developer and speaker. On her award-winning blog, Feed Me Phoebe, she shares recipes for healthy comfort food, and insights about balanced lifestyle choices beyond what’s on your plate. Her memoir, The Wellness Project, chronicles her journey with Hashimotos Thyroiditis and how she finally found the middle ground between health and hedonism by making one lifestyle change, one month at a time.

Overview of autoimmune disease and Hashimotos Thyroiditis.

Thoughtful systematic way of figuring out what works for you.

How to fit health changes into real life.

Finding the sweet spot between health and hedonism and feeding your spirit.

The effect of stress on health, autoimmune disease, and the benefit of letting go of unrealistic ideals of perfection.

The One Big Question--if you could tell someone one thing to change about their life that would have a profound impact on their wellbeing, what would it be?

Thinking about health in terms of concentric circles, and then focusing on locking down the center circle.

The Ten Commandments of healthy hedonism.

Why focusing on balanced blood sugar is a great place to start when it comes to health change.

Approaching an elimination diet with an experimental mindset.

The benefit of consuming fermented foods.

Why taking small steps can make such a big difference over time.

How cooking at home can move the needle when it comes to health.

Finding the middle ground and balance between making your body feel good and living a good life.

The Wellness Project: How I Learned to Do Right By My Body, Without Giving Up My Life

My Hashimotos Story

The Autoimmune Disease No One Has Ever Heard Of: What I Learned from A Pernicious Anemia Diagnosis

How to Design Your Own Wellness Project: A Guide

The One Big Question

Episode 1: Kristen Boehmer on Lifestyle Change and Living with an Autoimmune Disease

Episode 3: Kelly LeVeque, How to Naturally Balance Your Hunger Hormones

What I Learned from a Month of Growing my Gut Garden

The Microbiome Solution: A Radical New Way to Heal the Body from the Inside Out

The Good Gut: Taking Control of Your Weight, Your Mood and Your Long Term Health

Episode 15: The Secret to a Happy, Healthy Life with Gretchen Rubin

#4WeekstoWellness: My Waste Free Month

Guest Info

Website: feedmephoebe.com

Instagram: @phoebelapine

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Show Summary

In this episode we’re talking with Kate Fagan, author of the book, What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen.

We unpack the themes of perfectionism, the effects of social media on our brains, difficult transitions, and mental health. And we explore how healthy is driving satisfaction from activities and engagement not dependent on outside validation.

Detailed show notes & resources available at realfoodwholelife.com/feelgoodeffect

Madison Holleran’s story.

Unpacking the themes of perfectionism, the effects of social media on our brains, difficult transitions, and mental health.

How we seem to need one box for everything and how that can be problematic in talking about mental health.

How filters played a role in Maddy’s life, and how they may be playing a role in all of our lives.

How much photographic information we are consuming and the possible impact on our brains.

The inability to see that everyone else’s social feeds were filtered, too.

The problem with filtering in and filtering out.

Social isolation and social media.

The difference between connectivity and true social connection.

The ways that the digital medium can cloud a real emotional state.

Real conversations are messy and lack control vs. digital interactions.

Connecting one human to another is asking follow up questions and staying in the relationship through the hard questions.

If you think you are alone in your feelings it may be difficult to share your experience and ask for help.

The transition to college and the challenges this experience can bring.

“I know I’m supposed to feel like the lucky chosen few, but all I feel is overwhelm.” This can be a really difficult mental battle.

The risk of “I should be feeling.”

Struggle is not weakness.

“When the hurdle you are supposed to clear is actually a brick wall, you’re not going to get to the other side, you’re going to actually hurt yourself in trying to push through.”

The problem with perfectionism.

“Notice how close perfection is to despair.”

Why checking boxes and achieving will never be enough when it’s in the absence of true joy, knowing who you are and what makes you happy.

“I’ve been at the bottom and I’ve been at the top and I know I won’t find peace in either.” -Aaron Rogers

Finding joy and peace with things that have nothing to do with external validation.

Healthy is driving a majority percentage of satisfaction from activities and engagement not dependent on outside validation.

What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen

The Fine Art of Being Imperfect

Two Write Love on Her Arms

Crisis Text Line

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Guest Info

Website: bykatefagan.com

Instagram: @katefagan3

Podcast: Free Cookies

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In this episode we’re diving into the 5 things I wish I’d know when starting this wellness journey.

Website: realfoodwholelife.com

Instagram: @realfoodwholelife

All show notes & resources available at realfoodwholelife.com

In today’s show we’re unpacking some of the themes from previous episodes and I’m sharing a personal story and the 5 things I wish I’d known when first starting out.

What I Wish I’d Known

1. Gentle Over Perfect

It’s hard to be gentle when you have big goals. But perfect is an impossible target, and holding yourself to such a standard is a quick way to burnout. Plus, it’s just really difficult to maintain in the long run. Instead try to be gentle in the process.

1. Know and Honor What Works for You

Know yourself, your life context, and what works for you. Then honor it.

1. Not For Skinny, Just For Me

External outcomes are fine, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to lose weight, get toned, eat healthier, or meditate more. Try to keep in mind why you’re doing this, and then see if you can bring your focus inward.

1. There is More Than One Right Way to Do This

Even though there are a million prescriptive diets and wellness plans in the world, there is more than one right way to wellness. Trust yourself in finding what works for you. Not doing things according to a perfect plan does not mean you’re failing.

1. Step Back From Pushing Through and Lean into Support, Belief, and Slow

If you find yourself pushing through, checking boxes, and missing the joy see if you can take a step back. Is there a way to make some changes so that you’re working from a place of support, belief, and slowness?

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Jon Acuff is the New York Times-bestselling author of six books including his most recent, Finish. He's helped some of the biggest brands in the world tell their story, spoken to hundreds of thousands of people at companies such as Microsoft, Nissan and Comedy Central, and been featured regularly on national media.

Website: acuff.me

Instagram: @jonacuff

All show notes & resources available at realfoodwholelife.com

Why Jon followed up his book Start with his current book, Finish to answer the question of how to actually reach your goals.

Shining light on why the middle is so hard.

Why perfectionism is one of the biggest hurdles to success.

What to do on the day after perfect, when things haven’t worked out.

Escaping all-or-nothing thinking when it comes to goals.

Reconciling the perceived definition of perfectionism with how it manifests in real life.

“Amazon has sold millions of imperfect, finished books.”

The significance of day 2 and day 13 in reaching your goals.

How cutting goals in half can help you succeed in the long run.

Secret rules and why they are keeping you from your goals.

Why being kind to yourself is the key to success.

How self-awareness leads to understanding secret rules and moving beyond them.

The importance of fun and how it contributes to success.

Why you can’t do it all, shouldn’t do it all, and how to let things go.

Shame is pretending you can do it all.

Using perfectionism to avoid the true work.

Being honest about your own failures and not painting a perfect picture of yourself to the people around you.

Remember one size doesn’t fit all. Always be editing, always be tweaking, always be curious.

A health goal isn’t turning you into a different person. A health goal is allowing you to celebrate you you already are even more.

Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done

Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job and Your Dream Job

Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average and Do Work the Matters

Do Over: Make Today the First Day of Your New Career

Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done

Brene Brown TED talk on shame

Teach Girls to Be Brave, Not Perfect TED talk

Jon Acuff on The Moment with Brian Koppelman podcast

Good Life Project podcast

HELP THE SHOW

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We are diving in The Four Tendencies with Gretchen Rubin, and why knowing yourself is the way to a happy, healthy life.

Gretchen Rubin is one of the most influential writers on the linked subjects of habits, happiness, and human nature.

She’s the author of many books, including the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers Better Than Before and The Happiness Project.

A member of Oprah’s SuperSoul 100, Rubin has an enormous following, in print and online; her books have sold almost three million copies worldwide, and she has a highly ranked, award-winning podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin.

Website: gretchenrubin.com

Twitter: @gretchenrubin

All show notes & resources available at realfoodwholelife.com

How she left a successful law career for writing.

Why it took Gretchen 10 years to become an overnight success.

The origin story of the Happiness Project, and why she focused on the practical daily life activities for health and happiness.

What “Be Gretchen” means, and why the only way to build a happy, healthy, creative, efficient life is to base it on the foundation of our own nature, our own values, our own interests, our own temperament.

There is no magic one-size fits all solution.

We are mostly alike but the differences are so important.

Sometimes things work, sometimes they don’t and it’s not your fault.

Why it’s so hard to know yourself. There’s the way we wish we were, the way other people wish we were, and our assumptions about what people are like.

Using the laws of distinction to describe our differences. What did you love to do when you were 10 years old, what do you lie about (which means there’s a disconnect between you life and your values), who do you envy?

Shining a spotlight on hidden patterns and lending a vocabulary.

What to do when you’re telling yourself “I should.”

The Four Tendencies and how you respond to outer and inner expectations.

The difference between Upholder, Questioners, Obligers, Rebels.

Diving into the challenges and positives of each tendency.

Why it doesn’t work to try to change your tendency.

Why “should” is a trigger. It’s only what I can do, what I will do, and what works for me.

Why September is the new January

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin

The Four Tendency by Gretchen Rubin

Happier podcast

Happier in Hollywood podcast

The Four Tendencies Quiz

Samuel Johnson, the Major Works

HELP THE SHOW

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2 | Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help more people find the show and I personally read each one. Here's how to do it:

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We’re diving into the true meaning of wellness with Colleen Wachob, the Founding Partner and Chief Brand Officer at mindbodygreen, one of the biggest brands in wellness.

Colleen graduated from Stanford University with degrees in International Relations and Spanish, and spent ten years working at Fortune 500 companies including Gap, Walmart and Amazon.

She now lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband, mbg founder, Jason Wachob, and daughter Ellie.

All show notes & resources available at realfoodwholelife.com

Website: mindbodygreen.com

Instagram: @colleenwachob @mindbodygreen

Key Takeaways from this Episode

How she switched careers to find health and connect with her passion in the wellness world.

How a health scare led to a significant life changes and served as the catalyst to leave her traditional career path.

Why wellness is living a complete and fulfilling life. That’s a life of connections with self, with your family, with your community and your environment.

Why wellness is a journey with no no clear destination.

How the actual practice of wellness is progress.

The mbg definition of wellness that requires looking at the connections across the pillars of wellness: physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and environmentally.

Why the wellness industry runs the risk of turning narcissistic and obsessive.

Clarifying the distinctions between science-backed wellness trends.

Why there isn’t one answer--and how to tune into you when it comes to navigating the wellness space.

The Feel Good test: Does this make you feel good?.

Wellness has to become so much more accessible. Making it part of everyday life.

Navigating big life transitions from the corporate world to a start-up and Colleen’s new role as a mother.

Intentionally disconnecting from social media and connecting with family to create balance and balance.

The upcoming mbg Revitalize conference.

Resources

Watch mbg Revitalize streaming live or replay

mindbodygreen podcast with Melissa Hartwig and Kathryn Budig

The Rich Roll podcast

Let's Connect

• Leave a note in the comment section below.
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In this episode, we’re chatting about ditching extremes, setting boundaries, listening in and finding joy with Davida Kuglemass from the Healthy Maven.

Davida Kugelmass is the creator behind The Healthy Maven, a multi-channel health and wellness platform dedicated to making healthy living easier and sustainable. Davida’s content is diverse, ranging from recipes, to travel, to self-care with a focus on how to live healthfully, rather than living for your health.

All show notes & resources available at realfoodwholelife.com

Davida Kuglemass

Website: The Healthy Maven

Instagram: @thehealthymaven

Podcast: That’s So Maven

Key Takeaways from this Episode

How to take what works for you (and ditch the rest).

Overcoming an exercise addiction by taking a break and finding joy in movement.

Giving yourself permission to explore different options for healthy living.

Quitting the exhausted, hungry, guilty, frustrated cycle when it comes to food and exercise.

Why health is so much more than your pant size.

Letting go of compulsive exercise and leaning into intuitive movement.

How to really listen to your body and give yourself permission to get what you actually need.

Davida’s self-nourishing morning and evening routine.

Why simplifying is healthy.

Balance is nourishing your body to feel good and that it changes from day to day.

Resources

I Know the Secret to Skinny

I Gave Up Exercise for 30 Days

Feel Good Effect Podcast Episode 004 with Sadie Lincoln

Feel Good Effect Podcast Episode 007 with Kait Hurley

Feel Good Effect Podcast Episode 006 with Danika Brysha

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

How to Create Your Own Wellness Routine (You Can Actually Stick To)

That’s So Maven Podcast Episode 22 with Robyn Nohling from The Real Life ND

RABBITS Podcast

My Favorite Murder Podcast

How I Built This Podcast

LET'S CONNECT

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In this episode we’re diving into developing healthy habits from day one, creating a balanced food philosophy, and raising children who listen to their bodies while still maintaining expectations around healthy eating with Catherine McCord of Weelicious and One Potato.

Catherine, mom to Kenya (9), Chloe (7) and Gemma (2), created Weelicious.com as a platform to show parents around the world how easy and beneficial it is to expose children to wholesome, delicious homemade food. She is the author of multiple cookbooks, has a monthly “Snack Mom” column in Parenting Magazine, and has appeared in People, Self, Real Simple, the Today Show, among others. In 2016, she founded One Potato, an organic family friendly meal delivery kit offering three meals a week that take around 30 minutes or less to prepare.

Website: weelicious.com and onepotato.com

Instagram: @weelicious

All show notes & resources available at realfoodwholelife.com

How to create good eaters from day one.

Catherine’s philosophy about one family, one meal (and avoiding becoming a short-order cook).

Why everything leads to the next step.

Creating a balanced food philosophy of healthy nutritional meals with nutrient density (fruits, veggies, protein, fats and carbs) and also allowing for treats.

Raising children who listen to their bodies while creating expectations around healthy eating.

The Smoothie Project chart and how to create a nutrient-dense smoothie each day.

Creating structure while also allowing choice and freedom for children.

Incrementally introducing vegetables and fruits to get your child used to healthy options.

Knowing your child and shaping your approach based on their needs while holding the line on second meals.

Creating a list of the 10 foods you know your child loves and using it to build lunches around with some variations.

How Catherine created One Potato organic family meal delivery service.

The challenges of being an entrepreneur and balancing work and family.

Why you can’t do it all and letting things go without beating yourself up and why everything is a tradeoff.

Catherine’s definition of balance: feeling good and taking care of yourself.

Cure Your Child with Food: The Hidden Connection Between Nutrition and Childhood Ailments by Kelly Dorfman

The Smoothie Project and The Smoothie Project Planner Sheet

Weelicious Lunches: Think Outside the Lunch Box with More than 160 Happier Meals

Weelicious: 140 Fast, Fresh and Easy Recipes

Killing It: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Keeping Your Head Without Losing Your Heart

Hasbro The Game of Life

Enter promo code FEELGOOD25 here for $25 off your first One Potato order.

LET'S CONNECT

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HELP THE SHOW

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Taesha Butler is the blogger behind The Natural Nurturer. In her journey to health she lost over 70 pounds, and figured out how to feed a partner and child real, healthy food along the way.

She is a full-time teacher and mother, and today shares family-friendly real food recipes, clean living tips, and natural parenting ideas.

Taesha aims to empower parents and caregivers to raise their families in healthy way that fits into their busy lives, and today is breaking down real food for busy families and how to take care of yourself in the process.

Website: thenaturalnurturer.com

Instagram: @thenaturalnurturer

All show notes & resources available at realfoodwholelife.com

Taesha’s weight loss journey and how she lost over 70 pounds.

Handling family grief and finding food as a way to heal.

Finding a new healthy normal after baby.

Keeping an eye on small steps and celebrating small success.

Overcoming sheer exhaustion when it comes to incorporating real food and cooking.

Using the slow cooker to get dinner on the table (even when exhausted).

Letting go what you think dinner is supposed look like, and embracing what is.

Transitioning a family to real food by taking baby steps.

Leading by example when it comes to real food.

Using muffin tin meals and choice to feed your child real food.

Putting together a real food lunch box.

Living simply and enjoying the little things in life.

Voxer app

The Natural Nurturer slow cooker recipes

The Natural Nurturer smoothie recipes

The Goal Digger Podcast

The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You

Thank you to our sponsor, Thrive Market. Head to https://thrivemarket.com/feelgood for a free month trial membership, 25% off your first order, plus free shipping.

LET'S CONNECT

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Today we’re going to take a deep dive into getting started with a wellness routine that you’ll actually be able to stick to in real life. By the end of the show you’ll have an actionable plan to get started with your own routine today!

All show notes and resources (including a free download to get started) available at realfoodwholelife.com.

Part One: Set for Success

1 | It’s Not Self-Care, It’s Self-Compassion

2 | The Wellness Trifecta

3 | Rethink Success

Part Two: Food & Movement

4 | A Fresh Start

5 | Nourish in the Middle

6 | Finishing Strong

7 | The Right Amount of Movement for You

Part Three: State, Track, and Ground in Self-Compassion

8| Gentle Goal, Contingency goal, Kindness Statement

RESOURCES

Real Food Fix: Meal prep and planning simplified

Thank you to our sponsor, Thrive Market. Head to https://thrivemarket.com/feelgood for a free month trial membership, 25% off your first order, plus free shipping.

LET'S CONNECT

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HELP THE SHOW

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