What happens when your best friend of 22 years is a feminist pop culture critic who left social media—and you decide to give her a microphone? Pure magic. In this episode, Stacy sits down with her longtime bestie Daynah Burnett to get real about everything from TikTok slang confusion and “Love is Blind” hot takes to why reality TV might be secretly good for your emotional intelligence.

They unpack the state of media, generational drama (yes, your mom did mess up your bangs and your boundaries), emotional intelligence on screen, and why Pedro Pascal is everyone’s daddy. It’s sharp, hilarious, occasionally spicy, and exactly the kind of late-night-deep-dive-energy your group text wishes it had.

Spoiler alert: there are actual spoilers. For “The Last of Us,” “Hacks,” “Love on the Spectrum,” and probably whatever you’re watching next.

00:00 | Introducing Daynah + Friendship Origins

02:00 | English Majors, Feminism, and Cultural Criticism

06:00 | Career in Tech, Leaving Social Media, and Ethical Work

11:00 | Social Media, Teen Slang, and Digital Overload

16:00 | Pop Culture Consumption Without Social Media

21:00 | The Last of Us, Grief, and Emotional Intelligence in TV

27:00 | Generational Trauma in Media: Hacks + Representation

32:00 | Reality TV as Emotional Modeling: Love on the Spectrum

38:00 | Neurodivergent Representation + Viewer Bias Awareness

44:00 | Recommendations: The Rehearsal, Sirens, The Goat, Studio

50:00 | Book Recs, Celebrity Bios, and Pandemic Storytelling

55:00 | Celebrity Encounters + Shared Memories

58:00 | Closing Thoughts + Listener Invitation

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What if the most toxic thing in your home isn’t a chemical—but a mindset?

Clean living advocate and first-time author Lindsay Dahl returns to unpack the nuanced middle ground of wellness, environmental health, and personal agency. Together, we explore the emotional toll of trying to “do it all right,” the dangers of black-and-white thinking in the age of social media, and why real change takes both individual action and systemic accountability.

We talk spatulas and seed oils, fast fashion and flame retardants, fear and freedom—and why being a pragmatist in today’s digital landscape is both radical and necessary.

Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed by wellness culture or simply want to think more critically about what’s in your home and how it gets there, this conversation offers clarity, compassion, and a call to thoughtful action.

0:00 | Framing the Problem with Balance

2:20 | Education, Policy, and the Role of Media

5:40 | Health vs. Science: A Cultural Disconnect

8:06 | Control, Consumerism, and Systemic Change

11:25 | Fast Fashion as a Microcosm

14:12 | Inside “Cleaning House”: Book Preview

18:41 | The Cost of Speaking Up

23:38 | Reclaiming Community and Dialogue

26:25 | Closing and Call to Action

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What if you could ditch diet culture and feel amazing in your body? In this episode, Stacy talks with the ever-wise Alicia Stafford—aka the queen of “your way” weight loss—for a conversation that’s as real as it gets. Together, they talk about the messy middle of healing from disordered eating, making peace with food (yes, even dessert!), and finding a path to wellness that actually feels good.

We’re talking orthorexia, intuitive eating, body trust, and how to let go of the toxic rules we’ve been taught to follow. This one’s part truth-telling, part pep talk, and full of those “OMG, me too!” moments. If you've ever struggled with food, body image, or just want to feel at home in your skin—pull up a chair. You’re not alone, and freedom is possible.

DISCLAIMER: This episode contains open and personal discussions about eating disorders and weight, including orthorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and weight loss. Please listen with care, especially if you are in recovery or currently struggling. The conversation is based on lived experiences and is not intended as medical advice. If you need support, reach out to a qualified healthcare provider or a licensed mental health professional. You're worth it.

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Ever feel like you're trying to hold it all together while the internet yells at you about seed oils? Same.

In this episode, Stacy and Sarah are back together—real talk style—to unpack what happens when you're burned out on busting myths and crave more meaning. From internet trolls to emotional spoons, from doomscrolling to baby goats, we cover the full spectrum of what it looks like to live in the chaos and still make space for joy.

We talk about the shift from fighting diet culture head-on to reclaiming creativity, community, and calm. Whether it's ceramics, improv, or just a well-made smoothie, this one’s about finding what fills your cup (and letting go of what drains it).

00:00 | Reclaiming Meaningful Conversations  

01:10 | Trolls, Trust, and Online Fatigue  

02:24 | Leaving Diet Culture Behind  

05:04 | Curating Your Social Media for Mental Health  

08:50 | The Cost of Doomscrolling & Emotional Bandwidth  

13:15 | Ceramics, Creativity, and Self-Reclamation  

23:23 | Why Creative Hobbies Are Mental Health Tools  

29:05 | Setting Boundaries and Choosing Joy  

32:34 | Rebuilding Community and Redefining Purpose  

35:43 | Letting Go of Expectations, Embracing the Present 

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Friends! It's been a while. Almost 7 months, actually. Find out how we got here in this short introduction.

Real Talk, Whole Life is hosted by Stacy Toth, bestselling diet culture author turned anti-diet health at any size educator. Her goal is to create a safe space for all to explore their own version of wellness without the elitist self-focused woo woo.  Previously The Whole View and The Paleo View, this evolution of the podcast is a reflection of the growth we all go through exploring being middle aged. Expect a wide variety of guests on an even greater variety of topics, but always inclusive ways for non-toxic living (mental and physical).

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Join Stacy in saying farewell to this chapter of the show, reminiscing about the last 12 years of weekly podcasting and the last 145 episodes of Season 3, when Stacy went solo! It's been a journey of deep dives, some tough conversations, and discovering new ways to be our best selves - inside and out!

Don’t forget to subscribe to this channel to get notified when the first Is It Real podcast episodes drop later this month.

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One of the very first guests to appear on the original version of this show, author and a pioneer of the ancestral movement, Mark Sisson, joins Stacy to get real about the benefits of walking, small businesses going big, his own health evolution, and what it's like working with family. 

Pre-order Mark's newest book, Born to Walk: The Broken Promises of the Running Boom, and How to Slow Down and Get Healthy—One Step at a Time, available January 7, 2025!

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We also want to give a big thank you to this week’s sponsor!

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Ann Russo is a licensed therapist and advocate, passionate about understanding the intersections of mental health, sexuality, and spirituality. Ann and Stacy discuss the mental, emotional, and physical ramifications of interventions like conversion therapy and gender affirming care, why leading with love matters, and why our society is only as good as our most marginalized.

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We also want to give a big thank you to this week’s sponsor!

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British lifestyle journalist and author Ruby Warrington joins us to discuss two topics that are not only personal to her, but she has also written about: Choosing to be childless and exploring sobriety. Ruby and Stacy have a vulnerable conversation about what family means, what privilege looks like when making a choice outside of the societal norm and why leading with a question rather than an opinion can allow for deeper conversations about these topics.

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Stacy drops in with a big announcement! She has always loved thinking deeper on popular fads and in her upcoming Is It Real podcast, Stacy will have a series of shows dedicated to one topic. Each will be a deep dive into the facts and truth behind something, as well as the misinformation.

She'll bring you along as she researches topics like, why people think they need coffee enemas or chia seed water when they wake up; how new administration policies and recommendations could help or hurt health protective regulations; if conspiracy theories have any validity or are simply the result of toxic fear-based myths; and much more on what may be true or what may be harmful and rooted in pseudoscience.

Together you'll figure out, is it real?

Episodes won't drop weekly, so make sure you subscribe to this channel to be notified to never miss a drop and visit realeverything.com for more information!

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