Have you ever felt alone with your health and eating challenges? Do you resist sharing your struggles because you worry no one else can relate? So many of us keep our stories buried inside, but something incredible happens when you share your food story.

Aly French and Erica Stein, hosts of the Courageous Wellness Podcast, are powerful examples of how sharing your food story is healing for you… and those who hear it, too!

Aly’s wellness journey ignited when at 29 she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in the muscle lining of her back. After three surgeries, she’s now cancer free, and this life-changing experience radically strengthened her connection to her intuition and her body.

Erica, sparked her passion for nutrition after a 50-pound weight loss that was fueled by self-love. By loving and accepting her body, Aly began to enjoy exercise, enjoy eating, and, most importantly, stop putting her happiness on hold until “someday when.”

When the two met, they immediately opened up about their personal challenges with one another. Realizing the impact that speaking their truths had on each other, Aly and Erica created a platform to talk about their stories and empower others to do the same.

Tune in and let Aly and Erica’s journeys of struggle to strength inspire you to own your food story and cultivate the courage to share it, too!

Resources:

Episode Show Notes

Website: courageouswellness.com

Elise’s Website: elisemuseles.com  

Follow Elise on Instagram: @kaleandchocolate  

Do you know the key to adding incredible flavor and powerful health benefits to your meals?! Spices! And you probably already have a drawer filled with them ready to take your cooking (and eating) to the next level!

Harvard-educated molecular biologist and creator of Spice Spice Baby, Kanchan Koya, is a firm believer in the transformative powers of everyday spices. Through her online platforms, Kanchan has helped millions of people learn the cutting-edge research on how spices can heal our minds and bodies and elevate our food choices.

Having grown up in India, spices were an integral part of the culture that Kanchan dismissed and took for granted. But, when her lab at medical school studied the cancer-fighting effects of curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, the seeds were planted for her to explore the intersection between her cultural heritage and food as medicine.

On a mission to educate people on the ancient wisdom and modern science of healing spices, Kanchan shares the best spices to boost your mood, how to expand your child’s palette, a ritual to reduce sugar cravings and promote digestion, the top five spices every kitchen should have, and more!

You’ll feel empowered to head straight to your kitchen and tap into the flavor-enhancing and health-promoting power of spices!

Resources:

Episode Show Notes

Kanchan's Book: The Spice Spice Baby Cook Book – Use code “spicyfall” for 20% off

Website: spicespicebaby.com

Elise’s Website: elisemuseles.com

Follow Elise on Instagram: @kaleandchocolate

Have you ever felt like food is your best friend one day, only to have it become your enemy the very next day? Or do you wish you could just “trust yourself” to eat intuitively, but the only way you feel good around food is by following a strict diet, calorie count, or set of rules?

Cooking coach and author, Jacob Bustos, believes that you don’t have to deny yourself of the foods you love as long as you practice what he calls “a portion control mindset,” an approach to eating that allows you to literally have your cake and eat it, too!

In this episode, Jacob shares his weight loss journey and how bariatric surgery saved his life while his subsequent traumatic skin removal surgery nearly ended his life. Seven years later, Jacob is healthier than ever and the experiences and near-death instances ignited a deeper purpose in his life.

On a mission to inspire others to feel comfortable in their bodies, Jacob explains why deprivation never works and what to do instead, how to listen to your body and portion your plate, the reason sugar is the real culprit in weight management, and more!

Tune in to feel empowered to create a more nurturing relationship with food and your body, no matter where you are on your weight loss journey.

Resources:

Jacob's Book: When food is your frenemy

Episode Show Notes   

Website: portionyourplate.com

Elise’s Website: elisemuseles.com  

Follow Elise on Instagram: @kaleandchocolate  

Have you ever thought about bringing the philosophy and mindfulness of yoga into the kitchen? Even if you don’t consider yourself a yogi, you can still embrace a yogic lifestyle beyond the four corners of a mat.

Internationally celebrated yoga couple and authors of The Yoga Plate, Tamal and Victoria Dodge, believe that yoga is so much more than the physical poses, and its teachings can guide us to create a conscious approach to the way we eat and live.

Born on an Ashram, Tamal grew up following the yoga diet while Victoria spent her childhood in Wisconsin raised on the typical American diet. Despite their different backgrounds, yoga brought Tamal and Victoria together back in 2006.

Now, the yoga lifestyle is infused in everything Tamal and Victoria do, including the meals they make in their kitchen. Based on the concept of ahimsa (inflict the least amount of harm), Tamal and Victoria share easy ways to transition to a whole-foods plant-based diet, how to get family members on board, ideas to make plant-based cooking simple and fun, how to feel connected to your food, and more!

Tune in and let Tamal and Victoria empower you to get in the kitchen to make eating a sacred (and satisfying) experience!

Resources:

New Book:The Yoga Plate

Episode Show Notes

Website: theyogaplate.com 

Elise’s Website: elisemuseles.com  

Follow Elise on Instagram:@kaleandchocolate  

Do you know where your food comes from? Not just which grocery store or farmer’s market, or whether your produce is organic, BUT the actual practices of the farmers who grow and produce it? Most of us don’t think about it, but we all should!

Co-founders of the innovative hemp elixir brand Lumen, Kris Taylor and Yasir Hashim, believe that healthy soil creates the foundation for healthy food and healthy people as a result. And it all starts with regenerative agriculture: farming practices that aim to restore the health of our broken ecosystems and improve our food system as well.

In this episode, Kris and Yasir share how they have both always been passionate about discovering ways to make a difference in the world around them. Leaving acceptances to medical school behind, the two have a firm belief that food is medicine and the future of food begins with empowering small American farmers and their communities.

Now, as co-founders of the country's first cold-pressed hemp juice, Kris and Yasir explain what how to improve our soil to create more nutrient-dense food, the importance of supporting your local ecosystem, ways to reduce your carbon footprint, why hemp truly is a superfood, and more! Tune in and let Kris and Yasir inspire you to ask the right questions about the food you eat and how it is grown, too!

Resources:

Episode Show Notes

Lumen’s Website: drinklumen.com - Use code EliseM for 20% off your order

Elise’s Website: elisemuseles.com  

Follow Elise on Instagram:@kaleandchocolate  

Have you ever been frustrated by a doctor’s visit that felt too rushed? Or been told you’re “fine” by a health care provider when you’re clearly feeling off? You’re not alone!

Board certified internal and integrative medicine physician, Dr. Bojana Jankovic, doesn't believe that handing someone a pill to “fix” their symptoms or spending just a handful of minutes with patients is an effective approach to healing. Instead, the answers can be found using evidence-based strategies for restoring balance from both Western and Eastern medicine!

In this episode, Dr. Bojana shares how as a young physician, she became keenly aware of the limitations of conventional medicine. She then decided to first heal herself and significantly improve the quality of her and stressful life by addressing the underlying causes of her health challenges using an integrative approach and alternative modalities.

Now, after years of applying these same evidence-based to tools to enhance thousands of people’s health and transform their lives, Dr. Bojana shares how to get to the root cause of your issues, the best mindset to adopt to respond to stress, ways to create a better doctor-patient relationship, steps to become a more mindful eater, and more!

Tune in and let Dr. Bojana inspire you to become an active participant in your own healthcare and find the right tools to manage your conditions.

Resources:

Episode Show Notes

Dr. Bojana's Website: drbojana.com

Elise’s Website: elisemuseles.com

Follow Elise on Instagram: @kaleandchocolate  

Let’s be honest: Acquiring new stuff is fun! The excitement that washes over you every time you buy clothes or shoes or gadgets is unmatched. But what happens when all that stuff starts to accumulate… and weigh you down?

Rachel Rosenthal, a highly acclaimed organizing expert and mom to identical twins, believes that our physical surroundings have a huge impact on our emotional well-being. And, if you’re feeling stressed or mentally clogged, a little clearing and decluttering might be just what you need to feel instantly revived!

In this episode, Rachel shares her journey from leaving her law career to following her calling to empower others to create outer order and inner calm. Now, after working with more than 3,000 clients and impacting millions of people through media appearances, Rachel explains exactly how to begin the organizing process, why creating a sanctuary in your kitchen helps you make better choices, ways to stay organized even with kids (or uncooperative partners), the one thing to do to stay motivated to live with less, and more!

Tune in and let Rachel inspire you to declutter your space and declutter your mind!

Resources:

Episode Show Notes

Rachel's Website: rachelrosenthal.co 

Elise’s Website: elisemuseles.com

Follow Elise on Instagram: @kaleandchocolate  

The NutraMilk – Use code ELISEM50 for $50 off your order 

NOTE: This is a re-share of the most popular episode on Once Upon a Food Story. Because Tonya Leigh is so inspiring and has empowered Elise personally and thousands of others to feel happier and free, this is a must-listen (or re-listen!) for everyone. Enjoy!

Have you ever seen a French woman who has so much ease and joie de vivre and thought, “I want what she’s having?” Certified Master Life Coach, Tonya Leigh, believes that personal development should be fun and exciting… and there isn’t a problem that can’t be solved by French kissing life! Tonya works with women all over the globe helping them to create more joy, beauty, and meaning in their lives.

In this episode, Tonya shares her journey of going from a size 20 to a size 2 and how by embracing the lessons she learned in Paris, she was able to ditch the obsessive calorie counting and diet mentality for a more carefree way of eating and being. After years of being disconnected from her body, she explains the simple exercise to help you feel instantly better, how to stop using food as an escape, why accepting yourself right now can actually empower change, and more. Tune in and let Tonya inspire you to start experiencing true pleasure on your plate… and in your life!

How many times have you stepped on the scale and let the number affect your day? Or looked in the mirror and felt your self-esteem instantly plummet? Willow Jarosh believes that diet culture is to blame, and the messages we’re fed from a very young age about beauty standards and ideals are affecting the quality of our thoughts and our lives.

Willow is a registered dietitian nutritionist and body neutrality advocate who empowers people to stop wasting energy and mental space on appearance, so they can have more time for what truly brings joy. Different than body positivity, body neutrality is a growing movement that helps inspire confidence in ways that have nothing to do with what you see in the mirror.

In this episode, Willow shares how becoming a mom has inspired her to take an even stronger stand to shift the conversation, so that pass down a healthier story for our children. Realizing we need to place less value on appearance, Willow explains how to learn to respect your body without trying to fit an ideal, a simple (and fun!) exercise to incorporate body neutrality into your life, how to consciously raise kids in today’s diet culture, and more!

Tune in and let Willow inspire you to believe in yourself without your self-worth dependent on your weight or the size of your thighs.

Episode Show Notes

Willows Website: willowjarosh.com

Elise’s Website: elisemuseles.com  

Follow Elise on Instagram: @kaleandchocolate  

Almond milk is everywhere and in everything these days! We add it to smoothies, lattes, coffee, and use it multiple times throughout the day. We think of our beloved plant-based milk as the “better” option, BUT have you ever thought about what could be hiding in your “healthy” alternative?

Wellness entrepreneur and founder of the industry-disrupting brand, Good Mylk Co., Brooke Rewa Harris, explains that we need to take a closer look! After switching to a plant-based diet, Brooke struggled with major digestive issues along with low mood and skin problems. Determined to find the root cause of why her healthier choices were making her sick, Brooke discovered that the fillers, binders, and thickeners in her almond milk were actually harming her health!

In this episode, Brooke shares how she healed herself and began making almond milk in her kitchen. Realizing the harmful ingredients were not necessary for creamy and nutrient-dense plant-based milks, Brooke explains which “health foods” can cause digestive issues, how the lack of transparency affects our health, the truth about oat milk, how to use your voice, and more!

Tune in and let Brooke’s story empower you to become your own healer, trust the wisdom of your body, and prioritize your health!

Episode Show Notes  

Brookes Website: GoodMylk.co - Use code EMGoodMylk15 for 15% off your order 

Elise’s Website: elisemuseles.com  

Follow Elise on Instagram: @kaleandchocolate