A lot of times people overthink nutrition in general. I've been in this industry for a very long time and I've been through ebbs and flows myself personally of not understanding nutrition, coming to the realization I didn't understand nutrition, and then learning nutrition. Because I think when we start off, especially for those of us who are in the health and fitness field, we think we should have a better grasp on nutrition. When we think we get a little bit of understanding, we feel confident, and quite frankly, we might not truly understand it as a whole. I can say today I am still learning so much about nutrition. It's one of those things that, like anything with the human body, you can never fully get it perfected. 

There's always new information coming out in medical and nutrition journals and blogs about how our bodies process foods and there’s always something to be learning. I have people around me who’s job it is at fit-flavors to be constantly learning to make sure that fit-flavors stays up to date with any of the new information.

A lot of times people don't understand nutrition fully or they jump ahead. They often jump ahead of their current knowledge base to feel like experts in the field, when in reality, they're missing the basic pieces. Another analogy for this is to say that one is doing calculus before they understand basic math.

I really just want to talk about what this means and how you can look inwards to determine if this is you and if you have room for growth.

>>> Connect with me on IG @jilliantedesco

>>> Order your copy of my new book, Owning the Wait now! jilliantedesco.co

If you or someone you know is dealing with diabetes or prediabetes, and statistics show that most of us do, this episode is for you.

My guest and good friend Mindy Musselman is a registered dietician who specializes in diabetes. She understands how important diet is to our health but also how it can help prevent and slow disease. 

On this episode we discuss the difference between type I and type II diabetes, risk factors for type II development, and tips for prevention. Mindy also spills some truth about carbs and how they work in our bodies.

Find Mindy on Instagram @mindymusselman

Find more information about her business at Wellmyway.com and on Instagram @bewellmyway

>>> Connect with me on IG @jilliantedesco

>>> Order your copy of my new book, Owning the Wait now! jilliantedesco.co

If you feel like making a healthy choice is one of the biggest battles in your day, this episode will inspire you. 

My guest, Ryan Harris, has always struggled with nutrition and his relationship with food. To date, Ryan has lost 260 lb and is now a beacon for positive perspective. He opens up about how food choices were always so emotional for him regardless of his emotional state. Now? His relationship with food is less tied to emotions and more tied to his goals!

This episode is about his journey from point A to point B and he gives us a ton of incredibly powerful advice that anyone on a health journey can learn from.

Find Ryan on IG @Ryan.N.Harris

>>> Connect with me on IG @jilliantedesco

>>> Order your copy of my new book, Owning the Wait now! jilliantedesco.co

Something I do a lot at fit-flavors is work with flavor profiles. These are the elements in food that give it its taste. When you compile them together in a dish that is when you can really enhance the experience of the meal.

I love this kind of stuff, this is what gets me super excited about cooking, is playing around with stuff like this. So let's talk about these a little bit more in-depth so you can kind of understand them and maybe this will inspire you next time you are in the kitchen to get outside of your comfort zone and work with some flavor profiles to enhance your dish.

>>> Connect with me on IG @jilliantedesco

>>> Order your copy of my new book, Owning the Wait now! jilliantedesco.co

If you're a fitness enthusiast, then there's a chance you've experienced an injury or discomfort in your back, neck, knees, or hips. Honestly, with the amount of time we spending punching away on our laptops and cell phones, we're pretty much all at risk for neck and lower back issues.

Today I've invited my chiropractor, Dr. Tony Katakis, on the show to give us the inside scoop on how to care for our bodies better. Tony was incredibly important in my knee healing journey last year and he just does things different than any chiro I've ever seen.

He owns Elite Sports Medicine in St. Louis where he works with athletes at all levels in various sports. He lives by the rule that motion is lotion and I hope he convinces you of that today, too!

>>>Find Tony on IG @drtonykatakis (where you can also get his new Mobility Plans)

>>> Connect with me on IG @jilliantedesco

>>> Order your copy of my new book, Owning the Wait now! jilliantedesco.co

If you’ve gone through physical, mental, and emotional struggles related to weight loss and self-image, you are going to fall in love with my guest and a fit-flavors community partner, Katy Allen!

Katy is a Labor & Delivery nurse who has gone on a major weight loss journey, losing over 100 lbs. But it’s not the weight loss that has been the most life-changing for her. Her journey to health brought her through some of her highest-highs and lowest-lows. On this episode, she opens up to us about how she shifted her mindset from restrictive to intuitive and is now living a joy-filled, sustainable life!

Follow Katy on IG @kallen_cooks

>>> Connect with me on IG @jilliantedesco

>>> Order your copy of my new book, Owning the Wait now! jilliantedesco.co

When we deal with things that are challenging sometimes what our minds will do is create lies. And then we start role playing out those lies in our head and we make them way worse than they need to be and some of us can get sucked into those lies.

It's our positivity and our mindset that keeps us moving forward in the right direction.

There's a whole explanation of the armor of God in the Bible, it's amazing. And how he gives us the proper armor to fight off these lies.

When I am grounded in my faith and I put my trust in him the lies just bounce right off of me because I know that they are not real because I am focused and I am in alignment with my faith and my truth. So I know the answer is always God, to everything that we are struggling with. And he can get us through anything. He is enough.

>>> Connect with me on IG @jilliantedesco

>>> Order your copy of my new book, Owning the Wait now! jilliantedesco.co

Wherever you’re at today, this episode will inspire you to pause and invite God into the process.

You guys have asked multiples time about my spiritual fasting routine and I really wanted to bring in an expert to help explain the power of spiritual disciples like fasting.

I’m so honored that Pastor Angela Beise was able to join me on the podcast to bring you this episode.

We talk about both the practical and spiritual sides of fasting and give you tactical ways to start developing this spiritual discipline.

After listening to the show, you might be looking for some of the scripture Pastor Angela touched on. Here it is:

Isaiah 58

Matthew 6:16

Joel 2:12

2 Chronicles

You might also want to read more about the spiritual disciplines of:

Ester

Moses

Elijah

David

Paul

Daniel

Joel

King Joseph

And if you’re looking for a church home and you loved this episode, I really want to encourage you to come to the Crossing in St. Louis. Maybe I’ll see you there this Sunday!

Find Angela and The Crossing on Instagram @crossingstl

>>> Connect with me on IG @jilliantedesco

>>> Order your copy of my new book, Owning the Wait now! jilliantedesco.co

The values and beliefs we live by are what connect us to others. In life we tend to surround ourselves with people who have similar values and beliefs as us...this won't come as a surprise to you, of course.

But what about the business we spend our money at?

I think the core values of fit-flavors are what set us apart. They're what connect us to you: the customer who trusts us to support you in living a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.

Tune into this episode to learn about our core values here at fit-flavors and why they're so important to me (and to you!).

>>> Connect with me on IG @jilliantedesco

>>> Order your copy of my new book, Owning the Wait now! jilliantedesco.co

"When we harness our mindset we are strong and resilient, like a brick wall. Without that control, we are feathers in the wind."

Any change requires focus. When making a lifestyle change, it's imperative to think about your mindset.

I'm going to continue reading from my book, Owning the Wait, in the chapter on Mindset. This is one of my favorite topics to discuss and I think it's so important because it's not easily explained and it's not what you would think about when making a lifestyle change.

>>> Connect with me on IG @jilliantedesco

>>> Order your copy of my new book, Owning the Wait now! jilliantedesco.co