I call myself a science geek, but my reading and research don’t hold a candle to Pearl and Serene of Trim Healthy Mama, authors of the new book Trim Healthy Wisdom.

What I love most about them is that they KEEP learning and aren’t afraid to add to and update their life’s work. When peri-menopause hit and their bodies asked for something different, they did in-depth research and figured it out - for themselves and everyone else!

You will learn SO much!

Y’all. These women are BRILLIANT and also tender, encouraging, and funny. I could hang out with them forever and soak up their wisdom. Get the book Trim Healthy Wisdom, start by reading the bullet summaries, and then dig into the parts you need the most.

Resources We Mention for Women's Metabolism

• Get Pearl and Serene's new book:Trim Healthy Wisdom: Book, eBook & Audio bundle, Audio book (Use code katie4THW for $5 off!)
• One Hundred Days of Inspiration: Devotional for Women of All Ages & Stages: Bookshop, Amazon
• Follow them on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Youtube
• What's the cleanest protein powder?
• These meat sticks are a great on-the-go protein option
• There's a THM "Workin" series you can purchase, or you can become a member of their YouTube channel to access some videos

Say goodbye to picky eating today! Visit kidscookrealfood.com/pickypodcast now. 

Get 4 life skills workshops now for free!

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

When Dr. Michael Goran started researching children’s nutrition almost 40 years ago, he wasn’t looking at obesity, type 2 diabetes, or fatty liver disease. That wasn’t because his head was in the sand - those things didn’t exist in kids but now all 3 are becoming prevalent.

What is going on???

Time and time again, the research pointed to a surprising cause - excess sugar.

In this professorial interview, you’ll learn:

• what excess sugar does in the body, including before someone is even born
• why “excess sugar” is a tricky term to use
• the changes in how we consume sugar since the 80s (it might not be what you think)
• the dangers of liquid sugar and the massive red flags with the current alternative option!
• very practical ideas to take control of the situation in the only place you can
• encouragement that you can take small steps to make a big difference!
• how to empower kids to make their own good choices

Does Sugarproofing your kids mean withholding all sugar? Find out in this interview!

Resources We Mention About Sugar and Kids

• Get Dr. Goran's book: Sugarproof: Protect Your Family From the Hidden Dangers of Excess Sugar with Simple Everyday Fixes (Amazon, Bookshop)
• There are some benefits to using honey or maple syrup
• More about how we deal with desserts and sweets in our family culture
• Reduce sugar intake with these muffins sweetened with bananas and applesauce and this date-sweetened frosting
• Sugar and inflammation 
• Find Dr. Goran online: Dr. Michael Goran, Sugarproof Kids
• Follow him on Instagram
• Get a free chapter and sugarproof breakfast guide here

Say goodbye to picky eating today! Visit kidscookrealfood.com/pickypodcast now. 

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

Imagine with me…your kids can take over a whole dinner meal and cook it themselves while you get something else done!

It’s a dream that has become reality times three for me here at the Kids Cook Real Food™ household.

I realized I’ve shared the process we used to gradually release cooking responsibility and teach our kids to cook a whole dinner by themselves many times on other podcasts when I’m the guest. It’s about time I share it with you as well!

It’s a multi-step process:

• Let the kids watch you make a recipe.
• Watch them make the recipe while you’re there with reminders.
• Let them make the same recipe while you’re available in the house for questions.
• Then they can make that recipe with zero help from you.
• For 3-9 months, the kids should make the same recipe weekly to learn it to a mastery level.
• Then in the second year of kid's cooking night (or second phase), you can let them make their old favorite every other week. In the interim weeks, they need to try other recipes.

This allows them to take on the physical labor of cooking first, then gradually ease into the mental load portion as you help them meal plan side-by-side.

We’ve used this process with three kids so far, and the fourth won’t be far behind!

You can watch Paul and Leah’s “old favorite recipe” for pizza right here. This is a great one to watch with your kids as it has Paul’s early teenage creativity stamped all over it.

Resources We Mention for Kids Cooking Dinner

• Get started teaching your kids to cook
• Some of Paul's favorite recipes to make: cheeseburger soup or pinto gallo
• You can see Paul and Leah's pizza recipe here along with their entire process. (They filmed and edited the entire video themselves!)
• Teach kids skills in the kitchen instead of just teaching recipes

Say goodbye to picky eating today! Visit kidscookrealfood.com/pickypodcast now. 

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

Did you know the pre-frontal cortex where executive functioning lives doesn’t fully develop until our early 30s???

I still struggle with some executive functioning skills like time management and following a plan, but if I learned anything from this interview, it’s that we ALL can continue to grow, change, and improve. You are not married to your weaknesses!

If we can help our kids BEST develop their executive function, they will be more independent, better at their jobs, find deeper relationships, and be better parents themselves. It’s THAT important!

My guest today, Noel Foy, helps us understand what executive functioning is, how it develops over time, and some really practical ways to build it best in our kids.

Her question, “What is your plan for that?” is pure gold, and I know you’ll love all the little strategies she shares to reduce anxiety in our kids while improving their executive function. As we teach life skills and independence, we are also teaching executive functioning skills! Score! 🙂

Noel just released a new book 1/30/25--15-Minute Focus: Executive Function: Strategies to Build Underdeveloped Skills, Maximize Learning, and Unlock Potential. You can grab it here on Amazon or at Bookshop.org. 

Resources We Mention for Executive Function

• Find Noel online here
• Noel’s books: ABC Worry Free, Are You a Bird Like Me?, 15-Minute Focus
• You can see my first interview with Noel about helping kids with ADHD here
• Watch my TEDx talk on the importance of teaching kids critical thinking skills
• Get anxiety coping skills in this interview and this post
• Here’s Ned Johnson’s book The Self-Driven Child that Noel mentioned

Say goodbye to picky eating today! Visit kidscookrealfood.com/pickypodcast now. 

Get 4 life skills workshops now for free!

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

I’ve always said that parenting is “an 18-year-long game,” fully expecting that parenting would markedly diminish after my kids turned 18. Now that I’m parenting a 19-year-old…it turns out parenting DOES change and it ought to diminish, but it’s still a thing!

Kim Muench coaches parents of “emerging adults,” a new term needed to describe 18-30-year-olds who aren’t quite ready to be real adults, apparently.

In this interview, we talk about WHY we need both this term and parenting strategies to continue our conscious, intentional parenting beyond age 18.

But this podcast isn’t just for parents of emerging adults!

If you want to set your teens up for adulthood – and since you’re here, I’m assuming you do – it starts at least in high school and most likely long before that.

Kim and I dig into the pitfalls of becoming your child or teen’s friend, screen use at various ages, life skills, problem-solving, and soooo much more. Believe me, you’ll need all of it well before your kiddo hits 18.

If you want to prepare yourself for the next phase of parenting, and more importantly, prepare your kids to enter adulthood more smoothly, this interview is for you!

Thank you to our sponsor Paleovalley! Check them out at kidscookrealfood.com/meatsticks. 

Resources We Mention for Parenting Adult Children

• Kim’s book: Becoming Me While Raising You: A Mother’s Journey to Her Self (Amazon, Bookshop)
• Find Kim online here
• Follow her on social media: TikTok, Instagram
• We teach life skills to kids, teens, and even adults!

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

I’ve known about proper breathing technique and oral posture for over five years now and I’m STILL doing it wrong if I don’t focus on it!

Seriously. Breathing.

If you’ve ever thought about your breathing - and most of us don’t because it’s so automatic - you might notice that you feel differently when you breathe differently. Breath drives a LOT of functions, from our mental health (think fast breathing when you’re anxious) to our behavior, sleep, cardiovascular and digestive health, and more.

Shirley Gutkowski thought she wanted to be an orthodontist, but a few careers in oral health later, she’s found something she’s really passionate about.

She says people simply don’t talk about breathing enough, and she’s on a mission to change that through education.

I’m so grateful for the time she spent with me on this interview, and my brain is bursting with ramifications in my own family after what I learned!

If you’re breathing…and you have children who breathe…this podcast is for you.

Get the free knife skills class at kidscookrealfood.com/HPHknife!

Resources We Mention for Proper Breathing Technique

• More than a Kissing Spot: Your New Baby's Face
• The Purple Guide: Developing Your Clinical Dental Hygiene Career
• Find Shirley online
• Follow her on social media: Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram
• More about mouthtaping here.
•  We really like Xlear for xylitol nasal sparay. 

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

How about some stats to make you sad? Kids are on screens an average of 7 hours a day…and we spend 85% of our parenting energy on what our kids are doing wrong.

Aw, man!

It stinks to start with the negative.

In fact, that will train our brains to see more negative things, which is why I did it.

Do you feel more down after reading that? More worried? More hopeless about our kids' generation?

The GOOD news is that there’s another way.

I’m beyond honored to host Ralphie Jacobs of Simply on Purpose today to remind us that not only CAN we look for the positive, but we must - because it works, and it’s actually easier than yelling angrily at our kids!

You’ll come away from this interview feeling so encouraged and ready to parent differently, with 85% of your energy (or more!) focused on the positive!

Get ready to learn:

• how to create positive momentum in your child’s day
• why asking a kid or teen, “Why did you do that?” becomes a parenting trap (that you DON’T want to fall into!)
• what comes first in parenting - the words or the feelings
• a much better way to say, “If you don’t clean your room, you don’t get to come to the movie,” that’s actually EASIER to enforce!
• why fear-based behavior is bad for everyone in the long run
• an incredibly powerful way to guard your connection with your child - and raise kids who, like Ralphie’s, want to call home and come home to be with parents <3
• what is MORE important than your child’s good behavior
• why holding to your boundaries IS showing love, and how to do that without yelling or threatening
• the only way to help kids make better choices is to…
• fascinating (and simple) ideas to get kids on board with chores (yes, chores!!!)
• allllll about “looking for the good” – the why and how and benefits

This is as uplifting as it is practical, mamas and papas out there!

Be sure to grab Ralphie’s free email course here!

Thanks to today's sponsor, Paleovalley. Go to kidscookrealfood.com/meatsticks to check out their delicious protein snacks!

Resources We Mention for Looking for Good

• Ralphie's Positive Consequences webinar 
• Looking for more positive parenting tips? Check out this interview with Amy McCready as well
• Why should kids do chores anyway?
• Ralphie's reward system is called the family economy
• Why you should make your own salad dressing

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

Depression and anxiety are plaguing our children, and stress is often a root cause...what can we do about it?

Whether we actually live stressful lives or simply stress ourselves out (or social media plays a role in over-stimulating our amygdala and fight or flight response), there's no doubt in my mind that Americans are experiencing stress, and are not all that great at dealing with it.

And it's showing in our children!

Past guest, Dr. Kelly Brogan, said, "Children are our sentinels," when something is wrong. With 1/3 of teens reporting anxiety and 9-13% clinically depressed, it's time to listen up. But what can we do to help our kids be more resistant to depression and anxiety?

This week's guest, nutritionist Jess Sherman, has a great answer, and it's all about increasing their RESILIENCY.

In this interview, we'll talk about:

• Why even great schools aren't able to fully tap into kids' brilliance and potential
• Removing roadblocks to resilience (including food!)
• Why self-regulation is critical to resilience, and some factors that interfere with kids being able to self-regulate
• Foods that parents need to be aware of for best school performance
• How to get kids on board with healthy food

If you love what Jess has to say join the workshop we're doing together about picky eating and stress!

Thanks to today's sponsor, Chef Junior, the only real food cookbook written by kids, for kids! Find it at kidscookrealfood.com/chefjr.

Resources for Reducing Stress in Kids

• Join our workshop on picky eating and stress
• Jess's book: Raising Resilience
• Check out all of Jess's courses here
• Find Jess online
• Follow her on Facebook or Instagram @askjesssherman

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

Imagine if your child was kicked out of daycare for behavior issues, in spite of the fact that you’re making intentional choices as parents.

Devastating!

But what if the problem wasn’t caused by your child OR your parenting choices?

Brandon and Whitney Cawood’s story will break your heart and then give you hope because they found what was hurting their son and were able to remove it from his life - and he’s a different kid now.

They wanted to share what they learned with the world and poured their talents into a 2.5-year project going live on January 14, 2025.

Look up their film To Dye For: The Documentary immediately on Amazon or Apple TV (and other streaming service, we hope)!

You’ll love this interview with such humble, curious parents, and I can’t wait to watch the documentary. They share some juicy behind-the-scenes stories and a lot of information about synthetic food dyes, the central focus of their family’s story and their film.

What started as a tiny ray of hope in the Cawood’s lives has become a beacon for hundreds of thousands of families, and their impact is soon to get even bigger!

If you’ve ever wondered if you should pay attention to ingredients like Red 40 and Blue 1, this is the interview for you!

Thanks to today's sponsor, Perfect Supplements! Shop at https://kidscookrealfood.com/perfect.

Resources We Mention for Avoiding Food Dyes

• Find To Dye For: The Documentary
• Follow them on Instagram
• The ToDye For resource page
• The OEHHA report mentioned
• Sign up for the Cawood's email list to get the list of food dyes to look out for
• Here's an older post I wrote about avoiding artificial food dyes
• Dr. Elisa Song and I also talked about artificial colors and flavors

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

Want to hear from a naturopath from down under?

Jess Donovan, with her lovely Aussie accent, shares all sorts of goodness with us today on the Healthy Parenting Handbook, like:

• favorite immunity-boosting foods to recommend to busy families
• the best way to get probiotics integrated into your family
• common nutrient deficiencies in kids (and what you can do to seek the best balance)
• food allergy management, whether the allergy is IN your family or just around you
• how mom’s health may be related to her kids’

And so much more!

Jess hosts an online masterclass where you’ll discover 3 PROVEN ways to TRANSFORM your Kids GUT HEALTH to improve their behavior, fussy eating, immunity, and allergies. Grab your FREE spot here!

Thanks to today's sponsor, Chef Junior, the only real food cookbook written by kids, for kids! Find it at kidscookrealfood.com/chefjr.

Resources We Mention for Balancing Nutrition

• Find Jess Donovan online here
• Jess's free book on gut health
• Jess has put together a list of her favorite foods to boost immunity - grab your copy here
• Sauerkraut recipe
• Fermentation ebook
• Kimchi recipe
• Water Kefir recipe
• Probiotics for kids: MaryRuth's liquid probiotic, JustThrive
• Guide to finding a fish oil supplement
• Einkorn pasta
• US Wellness Meats
• Chia pudding for omega 3s
• Gluten and Dairy-Free Guide for Rookies
• My interview about epigenetics 
• The Jamie Oliver video we talked about

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!