Navigating Nourishment Podcast

Think of this series as ingredient literacy for real life.

We’re not telling you what to buy.

We’re teaching you how to think.

What if one of the most evidence-based ways to support bone density, preserve muscle, and extend your years of independence is also one of the most underutilized? Enter strength training.

The Interview That Might Change Your Mind About Exercise

In this episode of Navigating Nourishment, we're joined by Karin Weinstein to talk about why strength training is one of the most powerful, and often overlooked tools for bone health, longevity, and the freedom to maintain independence. We also explore the science behind strength training and unpack the topics of sarcopenia, osteopenia and osteoporosis.

Most importantly, Karin brings a very approachable style to the conversation reminding us all that it is never too early or too late to begin. Whether you are starting from scratch or returning after time away, this conversation offers clear reasons to prioritize muscle. 

We encourage you to listen - you might just walk away rethinking what 'exercise' really means for your future self.

Karin's Bio:

Karin specializes in bone health and works with women, including those with osteopenia and osteoporosis, to safely increase/maintain bone density, improve balance, and build strength. In her classes, she celebrates each student’s individuality, creating a warm, nonjudgmental community where they can feel empowered to explore and challenge themselves. She fosters a playful and curious approach, encouraging students to listen to their bodies and move with confidence. (Which is in total alignment with Nourish Coaches!)

As a dedicated student of yoga anatomy, biomechanics, and mindfulness, Karin’s passion is helping others move through life with greater ease, resilience, and strength—both on and off the mat.

Connect with Karin about Strength Training:

www.karinweinstein.com

732-690-9497

Another Navigating Nourishment Podcast episode about the importance of strength training with Dana Fallon.

Conversation matters more than we think.

You can eat well, move your body, and try to get enough sleep… and still feel off.

There’s something else shaping your health every day — something easy to overlook.

It’s the conversations you’re having.

Out loud… and in your own head.

The way you speak to a partner at the end of a long day.

The tone you use when you’re stressed.

The quiet inner voice that either supports your choices… or slowly talks you out of them.

These moments don’t just pass through you. They shape your stress, your habits, and your ability to follow through on what you know is good for you.

Communication isn’t separate from health. It’s part of the foundation.

Listen to the Conversation

In our latest podcast episode, we sit down with MK Larson to explore how communication influences behavior change, stress, and overall well-being.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between knowing what to do and actually doing it, this conversation offers a refreshing and practical perspective.

About MK Larsen

MK Larsen is a communication strategist and founder of MK Larsen Communications. She helps individuals and organizations communicate with greater clarity, confidence, and connection — especially in moments that matter most.

Her work focuses on practical, real-world communication skills that strengthen relationships, reduce friction, and help people move ideas into action. While her background is rooted in professional and leadership communication, the tools she teaches translate seamlessly into everyday life — from navigating difficult conversations to building habits that actually stick.

Find MK Larsen on LinkIn here.

When Thoughts About Food Feel Loud

Have you ever noticed how much space food can take up in your mind?

Not just when you are preparing a meal or feeling genuinely hungry, but throughout the day.

Wondering what you should eat.

Whether you should eat.

Replaying what you already ate.

Planning what comes next.

For many people, this steady stream of thoughts has become part of daily life. Some describe it as background chatter. Others experience it as a persistent pull that feels distracting or exhausting. This experience is often referred to as “food noise.”

What is Food Noise?

Food noise is not simply about cravings or the apparent lack of willpower. It can be influenced by many factors including irregular meals, stress, sleep patterns, emotional habits, and the highly stimulating food environment many of us live in today. When life feels rushed or restrictive, thoughts about food often grow louder. When life becomes more rhythmic and nourishing, those thoughts can begin to soften.

Practical, Everyday Ways to Turn Down Food Noise:

In our newest Navigating Nourishment podcast episode, we explore what food noise really is and why it happens. We also share practical, everyday ways to help turn down the volume. This includes eating enough real food, creating gentle structure around meals, supporting sleep, and bringing awareness to the moments when food thoughts tend to appear.

Rather than trying to silence these thoughts completely, we invite a different approach. One rooted in curiosity. What might food noise be trying to tell you? What shifts when your body feels well fed and your days feel more grounded?

If you have ever felt mentally tired from thinking about food, this conversation may offer both insight and relief.

Listen to the full episode of Navigating Nourishment and begin noticing what makes your food thoughts louder, and what helps them grow quiet.

Today on Navigating Nourishment Podcast, we’re stepping into a conversation that might look like it’s about closets and kitchen drawers… but is actually about identity, energy, memory, and how we want to live.

This episode is titled Conscious Decluttering, and we're joined by Jessica Varian Carroll, owner and founder of Organisata Home here in New Jersey.

Decluttering is often framed as a weekend project. A purge. A productivity hack. But conscious decluttering is something quieter and more intentional. It asks different questions. Not just “Do I use this?” but “Does this reflect who I am now?” Not just “Where will this fit?” but “What is this costing me to keep?”

Our physical spaces hold stories. They hold past versions of ourselves. They hold unfinished decisions. And when we begin to sort through what we own, we often find we’re also sorting through grief, growth, expectations, and possibility.

In this conversation, Jessica helps us explore decluttering as a practice of awareness. As a way to reduce noise, reclaim clarity, and create space not just in our homes, but in our nervous systems and relationships.

You'll find Jessica's approach is similar to ours - not only is she non-judgement and full of grace but she also helps you get to the point without wasted time.

One of the highlights of Jessica's way of decluttering is rehoming. You'll learn how she's created a vast network of non-profits and community places to share items that are no longer useful to you but a gem for someone else.

Jessica shares many ideas - two of which we want to spotlight. The 12/12/12 method and Swedish Death Cleaning. After you listen to the podcast, pop over to our Substack post to tell us how this landed for you. Read on Substack

Less excess. More presence.

About Jessica Varian Carroll

Jessica Varian Carroll is the owner and founder of Organista Home, where she helps clients transform cluttered, overwhelmed spaces into calm, functional environments that truly support daily life. With a thoughtful, judgment-free approach, Jessica guides individuals and families through the emotional and practical layers of organizing, helping them let go of what no longer serves and create systems that are sustainable.

Her work goes beyond tidy shelves. Jessica believes our physical spaces shape our mental clarity, energy, and sense of possibility. Through conscious decluttering and personalized organization, she empowers clients to reclaim space, reduce stress, and live with greater intention.

Listen to our 2016 podcast with Jessica about organizing

Listen to our 2019 podcast with Jessica about her book She Had No Business

Nourish Bytes: What’s Really In That?

You know the moment.

You’re standing in the grocery store. The front of the package is glowing with words like natural, clean, immune-supporting, energizing. The colors are fresh. The font feels trustworthy. Your cart is already half full.

And then… you flip it over.

That’s where the real story lives.

Welcome to Nourish Bytes: What’s Really In That? — a new series from Nourish Coaches where we take products marketed as “healthy,” turn them around, and read the ingredient list together.

No drama.

No fear tactics.

No food shaming.

Just clear-eyed, practical analysis.

Why We’re Doing This

We live in a time of extraordinary wellness marketing. Labels are louder than ever. Claims are more polished than ever. And consumers are more confused than ever.

We’re not here to label foods as good or bad. That black-and-white thinking doesn’t serve anyone.

Instead, our goal is to help you:

Understand what you’re actually consuming

Learn how ingredients function in the body

Separate marketing language from physiological reality

Decide whether a product truly supports your health goals — or simply sounds like it does

Because safe doesn’t always mean nourishing.

And natural doesn’t always mean simple.

Ingredient Literacy for Real Life

Think of this series as ingredient literacy for real life.

We’re not telling you what to buy.

We’re teaching you how to think.

When you understand how to read an ingredient list, you don’t need to rely on front-of-package promises. You gain confidence. You make decisions based on knowledge, not marketing.

And that’s empowering.

In this episode we talk about the product Bubblr

Here's another episode you might be interested in: Nourish Bytes Episode Six: Bioindividuality

If you know what supports your health but still struggle to stay consistent, this episode is for you.

In this Navigating Nourishment episode, we talk honestly about something so many women quietly struggle with: knowing what supports their health and still having a hard time following through. We explore why this isn’t a willpower or discipline issue, how doing things alone actually makes change harder, and why shorter, gentler timeframes can help habits finally stick. If you’ve ever felt frustrated, tired of starting over, or wondered why “knowing” hasn’t translated into feeling better, this conversation offers relief, clarity, and a more compassionate way forward.

In this episode, we also talk about why trying harder often makes things worse, not better — especially in midlife.

We unpack how support, shorter time horizons, and narrowing your focus can calm the nervous system and make consistency feel possible again. It’s a conversation about shifting from self-criticism to self-trust, and why feeling better doesn’t require a total overhaul, just the right kind of help at the right time.

This episode reflects the heart of our 6-week group, The Nourish Way, where we offer steady support, simple focus, and a way to make healthy habits finally stick.

Read more about the benefits of connection in this Harvard report. The importance of connections: Ways to live a longer, healthier life By Giulia Cambieri

Read more in our blog: Real Change Happens Through Connection

In our latest Navigating Nourishment episode, we open the door to one of the world’s oldest healing systems—Ayurveda. We welcome Dr. Roberta Garceau back to our podcast and explore how Ayurveda's timeless principles can help us feel more balanced, grounded, and well - especially during the breezy, unpredictable Vata season of fall and winter.

We break down the Ayurveda essentials:

What Ayurveda really means.

The five elements and how they shape our bodies and minds.

️The three doshas—and why understanding yours can be life-changing.

How Vata season affects energy, digestion, sleep, and mood.

Simple, comforting practices to stay nourished, steady, and centered.

If you’ve ever wondered why you feel a bit more scattered, cold, dry, or restless this time of year—or how to bring more calm and rhythm into your days—this episode is your warm blanket.

Tune in and learn how aligning with nature’s seasons can bring more vitality, ease, and clarity to your daily life.

Listen now and let’s embrace Vata season with intention.

More about Roberta

Dr. Roberta Garceau is a practicing dentist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. Roberta is also a certified yoga and Ayurveda instructor, professional speaker, and Amazon best-selling author. Her book is Bliss, Not Burnout: Hope for Health Care Providers. She blends these passions into Elemental-Wellness, her unique brand of integrative medicine, to help others improve their health, function, self-esteem, and overall well-being. Fostering self-awareness, Roberta is passionate about helping others to empower themselves and live with greater wellness. She and her husband, Jerry, reside in Connecticut and enjoy spending time outdoors with their adult children, Jacenda and Liam, as well as their dogs.

Listen here to our previous interview on Navigating Nourishment as she shares her story and wisdom about health.

Follow on Instagram

Ready to add a dash of playfulness and a sprinkle of self-compassion into your day? In this episode of Navigating Nourishment, we welcome the wonderful Grace Conte, who wrote the delightfully creative Creature Comforts at Your Fingertips. In her book, Grace fills every page with animal-inspired hand mudras, drawing on ancient wisdom like Jin Shin Jitsu.

With every page, children (and the child in you!) are invited to roar like a lion, flutter like a butterfly, and discover how simple hand gestures can help calm big feelings, build confidence, and spark resilience. The playful, colorful illustrations make these practices feel like a joyful adventure through the animal kingdom—one where everyone is welcome.

What we love most about this book is these gentle, mindful tools aren’t just for kids. Grace shows us that anyone can weave a little self-compassion and mindfulness into their daily routine, one playful “creature comfort” at a time. The magic is in the small, consistent steps of self-compassion.

Find the book: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Austin Macauley, Waterstones (UK).

Follow Grace on Social Media: Linked In, Instagram, Facebook

Creature Comfort Ideas

In our conversation about the book, Grace offers a variety of simple, accessible practices that can be woven into daily life to nurture self-compassion and emotional well-being. Here are some ways to integrate these practices:

1. Hand Mudras and Gestures

Grace describes using hand positions (mudras) inspired by nature and ancient practices like Jin Shin Jitsu. For example, making a gentle fist with the thumb tucked in (Adi Mudra) can help to feel grounded and promote a sense of safety.  Practicing these mudras as a daily ritual, and especially during moments of stress, can help regulate emotions and foster self-kindness.

2. Mindful Tracing and Doodling

The book encourages tracing animal shapes or doodling. This practice engages both hemispheres of the brain and provides a calming, full-brain response. Setting aside a few minutes each day to trace, draw, or color can help quiet the mind, reduce anxiety, and promote creative self-expression.

3. Pausing and Stillness

Grace emphasizes the importance of pausing—taking intentional breaks to check in with oneself. This can be as simple as a few deep breaths, a moment of silence, or a mindful hand gesture. Regular pauses throughout the day help build self-awareness and compassion.

4. Playfulness and Joy

Grace specifically designed the practices to be playful and joyful, so they appeal to both children and adults. Approaching self-care with a sense of play can make it more sustainable and enjoyable.

5. Gratitude and Affirmation

Practicing gratitude, even in small ways, is a powerful mindfulness tool. Taking time each day to acknowledge something positive or to affirm one's own efforts can boost emotional well-being.

6. Integration with Daily Activities

These practices can be incorporated into everyday routines - commuting, before meals, during work breaks, or as part of a bedtime ritual. The key is consistency and gentle repetition, not perfection.

7. Modeling for Others

Grace notes that these tools are beneficial for all ages and can be shared within families or groups, creating a ripple effect of compassion and emotional intelligence.

By embracing these simple, mindful practices, we can all gradually build greater self-compassion, resilience, and emotional balance into our daily lives. You've heard it from us before! Small, consistent steps and trusting the process, rather than seeking immediate results, is key to moving forward.

We encourage you to pick one or two of these practices and play around with incorporating them into your daily life. And buy the book for yourself, a child, a friend and a neighbor to spread the ripple effect of self-compassion.

We are on a quest to find out how to eat more vegetables.

Welcome to Navigating Nourishment Podcast. Be honest, do you love vegetables or not? In the latest episode hosts Debbie and Wendy dive deep into the vibrant, colorful world of vegetables—just in time for the bounty of the season! This episode is a celebration of everything fresh, local, and nourishing. Debbie and Wendy share their own experiences at the market, the joy of discovering new produce, and the challenges many of us face when it comes to trying unfamiliar vegetables. They discuss why we sometimes resist adding more veggies to our plates, from old stories we tell ourselves to the convenience of prepared foods that hijack our taste buds.

But it’s not just about the “why”—it’s about the “how.” The hosts offer practical tips for overcoming resistance, discussing your palate choices, and making vegetables a delicious and exciting part of your daily routine. Whether you’re a seasoned veggie lover or just starting to explore, you’ll find inspiration to pick up something new at the market, experiment in the kitchen, and nourish your body with the incredible variety nature offers. 

Here are some of our tips on how to eat more vegetables:

Embrace curiosity: Challenge yourself to try a new vegetable or recipe, even if it’s just once a month.

Remember the benefits: Vegetables are packed with polyphenols, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and even protein—everything your body needs to thrive.

It’s okay to start small: Even if you’re not used to cooking vegetables, there are plenty of resources and recipes to guide you.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help: Reach out to Debbie and Wendy if you need tips on preparing something new.

Debbie and Wendy also share stories from their coaching practice, highlighting how challenging your mindset can open up a world of delicious possibilities. Plus, they invite you to check out their website for recipes, resources, and updates on their cookbooks—including the beloved Nourish-a community supported cookbook and the upcoming cookbook Seasoned.

Ready to get inspired?

Listen to the episode, try something new, and join the community of veggie enthusiasts! For more tips and updates, follow Nourish Coaches on Facebook and Instagram, and visit nourishcoaches.com.

Bon appétit—and happy veggie exploring!

Read more about the summer harvest list here.