Between school runs, work demands, and endless screen time, when was the last time your family truly paused together? In our fast-paced world, we often forget that one of the simplest tools for stress reduction and emotional wellness is sitting right in our dining rooms.

In this episode, host Angie Jordin sits down with Stacey Little, the creator of the wildly popular Southern Bite food blog and Wall Street Journal best-selling author. Stacey shares his deeply personal mission to rescue the family supper table, explaining why the people in the seats matter infinitely more than a picture-perfect meal on the plate. He also busts common myths about Southern cooking, takes us back to his great-grandmother’s fig trees in Camden, Alabama, and gives all of us permission to embrace convenience if it means getting our loved ones together.

For recipes to feed your own family around the table visit SouthernBite.com.

Grab a plate, pull up a chair, and take a deep breath—your roadmap to a more connected, less stressful home starts at the next meal.

Do you crawl out of bed feeling utterly exhausted, even after getting a full night's sleep? When a heavy workload leaves us feeling irritable and disconnected, we often tell ourselves to just "push through." But what if ignoring that stress is actually setting us up to explode?

In this episode of Pulse Check, host Angie Jordin talks with Krishula Edwards, a Montgomery, Alabama native, mental health counselor, and workplace wellness consultant at Edwards Essentials LLC. Pulling from her unique dual background in clinical mental health counseling and public administration, Krishula translates heavy clinical terms into practical tools to help Alabama's workforce transition from barely coping to truly thriving.

Learn the crucial differences between standard stress and chronic burnout. Krishula shares actionable, on-the-clock strategies, such as taking structured "micro-breaks," implementing workplace morale committees, and establishing professional boundaries focused purely on performance. She also unpacks the military concept of being a "workplace wingman."

Your value as a human being is not determined by the length of your to-do list. Tune in to discover how to look at your daily plate, prioritize your peace, and take life one manageable bite at a time.

Are you feeling emotionally exhausted, overwhelmed by information overload, or anxious about what your next life move should be? When the stress of daily life threatens to pull you under, what is the firm foundation keeping you anchored?

On this episode of Pulse Check, host Angie Jordin sits down with Mikala McCurry, the Communications Coordinator for the Alabama Securities Commission and the founder of the virtual faith community Walk by Faith, I’m Walking Too. Mikala shares her personal journey from a stressed, exhausted college student to a community mentor, explaining how cultivating internal resilience isn't just an abstract concept—it’s a vital pillar of your overall mental, emotional, and physical wellness.

Mikala breaks down incredibly practical, daily mental health tools, including the psychological "90-Second Rule" for emotional regulation, the power of keeping a personal "Victory Journal," and how to intentionally set boundaries around social media with digital fasting.

If you are feeling spiritually disconnected or emotionally drained, it is time to stop walking alone. Listen in to discover how to cultivate a local network of authentic accountability and plug back into your ultimate power source.

When a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, the medical treatment plan is only half the battle. Who helps with the $95 prescription copays, the two-hour drives to the clinic, or finding a meal when you're too weak to cook?

In this episode of Pulse Check, host Angie Jordin welcomes back Carol Gunter, Executive Director of the Cancer Wellness Foundation. Walking a parallel path as both a non-profit leader and a caregiver for her husband, Carol pulls back the curtain on the hidden practical, physical, and financial burdens of a cancer journey.

Discover how the foundation serves 32 counties across Central Alabama—from the Black Belt down toward the Wiregrass—providing direct relief through reloadable gas cards, free transportation, a specialized $2/$4 prescription WellCard program, and "Chemo Comfort Care Bags."

No family in Alabama should have to choose between keeping the lights on and paying for life-saving medication. Listen in to find out how you or your neighbors can access these completely free resources today.

Find more about the Cancer Wellness Foundation here: https://cancerwellnessfoundation.org/

Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed by the endless, conflicting nutrition advice on your social media feed? If you’ve ever felt guilty about not eating a "perfect" diet, it's time to take a deep breath and take stress off the menu.

In this episode, host Angie Jordin sits down with Lita Chatham—a registered dietitian, public health advocate, and president-elect of the Alabama Dietetics Association. Working with the Alabama Department of Public Health, Lita is on a mission to shift our state's health conversations away from weight-obsessed numbers and toward achievable, behavior-focused lifestyle changes.

Lita introduces us to the Alabama Wellness Alliance’s "For Everybody" campaign, a movement designed to prove that wellness belongs to every Alabamian, regardless of starting point or ability. She breaks down how to spot marketing tricks pretending to be health science, explains why frozen and canned vegetables are total lifesavers for busy parents, and highlights incredible state resources like the Alabama 100 Miles Challenge.

• Explore community health toolkits at AlabamaPublicHealth.gov/npa.

Remember, it's okay to suck, but it's not okay to skip. Tune in to find out how to add more joy—and fewer unrealistic expectations—to your plate today.

Do you know your way around an Instant Pot, or does the thought of cooking a healthy meal from scratch feel a bit overwhelming? Across generations, many of our everyday kitchen skills have been lost to the convenience of highly processed foods and drive-thrus—but our health is paying the price.

In this episode, host Angie Jordin sits down with Dr. Bryan Strickland, a Montgomery-based internist with over 30 years of medical experience and a faculty member at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine. Dr. Strickland explains how an innovative new "Teaching Kitchen" partnership between UAB and Baptist Health is aiming to give Alabamians the hands-on skills they need to turn nutrition advice into everyday habits.

Tune in to learn why you don't have to give up Southern food culture to live a healthier life—and how adding just one extra serving of fruit or vegetables this week can jumpstart your wellness journey.

When you think of a large healthcare system, you probably picture brick-and-mortar hospitals and busy doctors. But what happens when families living in rural Alabama can't make it to those buildings for life-saving care?

In this episode of Pulse Check, host Angie Jordin goes behind the scenes with Tommy McKinnon, Vice President of Community Engagement for Baptist Health and Executive Director of the Baptist Healthcare Foundation. Tommy brings over 30 years of expertise and a deep heart for service to a conversation mapping out how healthcare is being taken directly into the communities that need it most.

What We Discuss:

• The 17-County Reach: Expanding outpatient and community services far beyond the Montgomery area.
• Meet "JOY": How a mobile mammography unit and a traveling wellness bus are saving lives on-site in places like Barbour County.
• Caring for Our Most Fragile: How the 31st annual Birdies for Babies golf tournament raised over $215,000 for advanced neonatal cooling technology in local NICUs.
• Hospice & Compassion: Providing underinsured and uninsured Alabamians with dignified end-of-life care.
• The Next Generation: Awarding a historic 62 local scholarships totaling $202,000 for the 2027 school year to keep bright medical minds in Alabama.

Healthcare is more than an industry—it's a shared ministry of looking after one another. Listen in to discover how you can engage with the health roadmap being built right in your backyard.

Do you ever feel entirely overwhelmed by your child's challenging behavior and secretly worry that you’re failing as a parent?

In this episode of Pulse Check, host Angie Jordin sits down with Dr. Beth Long, a licensed professional counselor, board-certified behavior analyst, and founder of Works of Wonder in Montgomery, Alabama. With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Long offers a beautifully liberating perspective: behavioral struggles are not character flaws or signs of bad parenting—they are simply skill deficits.

What We Discuss:

• Why "acting out" is usually a child's way of saying, “I don’t know how to use my words right now.”
• The power of pausing: Why you don’t need to solve a behavioral problem in the heat of the moment.
• The three proactive golden rules: Following through, teaching children to ask for permission, and practicing skills through play.
• How childhood skill deficits follow us into adult relationships and the modern workplace.
• An exclusive look at Dr. Long's brand-new resource for potty training children with developmental delays.

If you are navigating behavioral hurdles or want to explore family counseling, check out the free resources and clinic services at Works of Wonder Therapy in Montgomery.

Remember, behavior change isn't a straight line, and repetition is the best teacher. Be gentle with yourself today as you take the next step on your family's wellness journey.

What if the person sitting next to you at church, your child’s school friend, or a hardworking coworker was secretly skipping meals just to make ends meet?

In this vital episode of Pulse Check, host Angie Jordin sits down with Varina Mead, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Heart of Alabama Food Bank. With a rich career dedicated to strengthening families across Central Alabama, Varina shines a compassionate light on what food insecurity actually looks like in our state, shattering old stereotypes and laying out a clear connection between nutrition and long-term health.

Resource Highlights:

• The 211 Statewide Hotline: A free, confidential, nationwide helpline. In Alabama, simply dial 2-1-1 and provide your zip code to be immediately connected to local food pantries, clothing, shelter, or utility assistance.
• Heart of Alabama Food Bank (HAFB): Serving 35 counties with dignity. Learn how to volunteer, donate, or access mobile food programs at HAFB.org.
• Map the Meal Gap: An interactive tool by Feeding America that lets you see exact food insecurity data down to your specific Alabama county.

Remember, food security isn't "their" problem—it’s a community-wide mission. Listen in to find out how you can share resources, reduce stigma, and help your neighbors thrive.

Did you know that loneliness and social isolation can drain our emotional health just as heavily as a physical illness? In a digital age where we are more connected yet more siloed than ever, how do we rebuild our real-world "emotional intelligence" and find a true sense of belonging?

In this episode of Pulse Check, host Angie Jordin sits down with Amerika Blair, the Director of Innovation for the Montgomery Mayor's Office, a military leader in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, and the current President of the Junior League of Montgomery. Amerika shares her passionate approach to "doing government differently" by putting the lived experiences of everyday residents at the center of city policy, and reflects on the power of community service to ground and heal us.

We dive into actionable steps to break down digital silos, including Montgomery's civic innovation programs, the Junior League's annual Holiday Market and College and Career Night, and a simple 4-hour digital boundary challenge to get you back out into your neighborhood.

If you've been feeling disconnected or are looking for your true purpose, this episode is your invitation to take a step outside your comfort zone and find your community home.