Soul Shift

What if the very quality you’ve been praised for your entire life… is actually the thing hurting you?

For decades, women—especially those in helping professions—have been celebrated for their resilience, self-sacrifice, and ability to push through anything. But what if resilience isn’t always a strength?

In this powerful episode of SoulShift, hosts Ali Anderson and Mindy Gorman-Plutzer sit down with trauma therapist, professor, and author Dr. Julie Merriman, Ph.D., LPC-S, CYT to unpack the hidden cost of being “the strong one.”

With over 30 years of experience treating trauma, Dr. Merriman brings both clinical neuroscience and deeply honest real-life insight to this conversation about burnout, nervous system dysregulation, and why so many women over 50 feel exhausted, numb, or resentful despite appearing highly functional on the outside.

Dr. Merriman challenges one of the most deeply ingrained cultural beliefs placed on women: that self-sacrifice equals virtue. Instead, she explains that what we often label as resilience is actually a high tolerance for pain and chronic stress.

For many women, especially those who spent decades balancing careers, caregiving, and family responsibilities, the nervous system has been trained to ignore internal signals of exhaustion. We override the dread, push through the fatigue, and show up anyway.

Over time, that pattern can push the nervous system into survival states like fight, flight, freeze, or fawn, making it difficult to feel joy, connection, or even physical presence in the body.

This is why so many traditional wellness tools—like affirmations, gratitude journaling, or mindset work—can fall flat.

As Dr. Merriman explains, if the nervous system doesn’t feel safe, the brain remains in survival mode. In that state, positive thinking cannot override biology.

Instead, true healing begins with the body.

In this episode, the SoulShift Sisters explore the growing importance of somatic practices, nervous system regulation, and body-based awareness in healing burnout and chronic stress.

Dr. Merriman shares practical ways women can begin reconnecting with their bodies through simple techniques like body scans, breathwork, and sensory awareness—helping rebuild the connection between the brain and the body.

Another powerful theme in this conversation is resentment.

Many women have been taught to suppress resentment or view it as something shameful. But Dr. Merriman reframes resentment as valuable information—a signal that personal needs are being ignored or boundaries are being crossed.

When we ignore our own needs long enough, resentment builds. Rather than seeing this as a failure, Dr. Merriman encourages women to get curious about what their resentment is trying to communicate.

The discussion also touches on the cultural expectations placed on women—especially those who came of age during eras when they were expected to work like men while still carrying the full emotional load of caregiving and family life.

What We Discuss In This Episode

• Why resilience can actually be a sign of chronic stress
• The hidden cost of being the “strong one”
• How women are conditioned to override their nervous system
• The connection between burnout and nervous system dysregulation
• Why mindset work fails when the body feels unsafe
• Understanding fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses
• How somatic practices help regulate the nervous system
• Why resentment is a powerful emotional signal
• The importance of boundaries and learning to say no
• Reconnecting with your body through breath and awareness
• Why midlife is a powerful opportunity for personal transformation
•  Reclaiming joy and identity beyond roles and responsibilities

Learn more at:

www.Juliemerrimanphd.com

Free Quiz:

What is your Burnout Archetype? https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/6901c6526209da00152ca32b 

Connect with Dr. Julie:

Instagram - @dr.juliemerriman

Facebook - Dr. Julie Merrimen

LinkedIn - Dr. Julie Merrimen

YouTube - Dr. Julie Merrimen

Resources & Links:

• Explore Mindy’s work at www.thefreedompromise.com
• Connect with Ali at www.aliandersonwellness.com
• Learn more about Christine at www.radiantheart.health  

Subscribe & Review:

If this conversation touched your heart, please subscribe to SoulShift wherever you listen to podcasts. Your reviews and shares help us reach more people who need to hear they’re not alone.

✨ Let’s shift — gently, together. ✨

Chronic illness can feel like a life sentence, especially when you’re told there’s no real path to healing. But what if your body actually has the capacity to recover when given the right support?

In this episode of SoulShift, hosts Ali Anderson and Mindy Gorman-Plutzer sit down with Emilia Rizzuto, a nutrition consultant and founder of All Things Elderberry, to explore her powerful journey from chronic illness to long-term remission.

Diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at just 15 years old, Emilia spent years navigating hospital visits, medications, and uncertainty. Conventional medicine told her she would manage the disease for life, but also healing wasn’t possible.

Refusing to accept that narrative, Emilia began exploring nutrition, lifestyle changes, and holistic healing. What followed was decades-long healing journey of learning how food, stress, sleep, and emotional wellbeing shape our health.

This inspiring conversation explores the deep connection between chronic illness, nutrition, belief systems, and the body’s innate ability to heal.

Emilia Rizzuto is the founder of All Things Elderberry, a women-owned wellness brand creating clean, effective immune support products.

With a certification in nutrition consulting from Bauman College, she turned her personal healing journey into a mission to help others support their health naturally.

Today, her company All Things Elderberry produces fresh-pressed elderberry elixirs, teas, gummies, and wellness products trusted by families nationwide.

What We Explore in This Episode:

Living with Crohn’s Disease as a Teenager

Emilia shares what it was like to receive a life-altering diagnosis at just 15 years old and the emotional and physical challenges that followed.

The Limits of Conventional Treatment

Years of steroids, immunosuppressants, and hospital visits left Emilia searching for deeper answers about the root causes of autoimmune illness.

Discovering the Power of Nutrition

Studying nutrition opened Emilia’s eyes to how processed foods, inflammation, and gut health impact autoimmune disease—and how whole foods can support healing.

Healing Is a Long Journey

True recovery didn’t happen overnight. Emilia emphasizes patience, consistency, and the willingness to work through multiple layers of healing over time.

The Emotional and Energetic Side of Healing

From breathwork and acupuncture to mindset shifts, Emilia explains how emotional and energetic healing played a crucial role in her recovery.

Building a Wellness Brand from a Personal Need

What began as homemade elderberry elixir for her family quickly grew into All Things Elderberry, a thriving wellness company dedicated to natural immune support.

Products Mentioned

From All Things Elderberry

• Fresh-Pressed Elderberry Elixir

• Elderberry Gummies

• Elderberry Infused Honey

• Elderberry Green Tea with Hibiscus

• Elderflower Chai Tea

• DIY Elderberry Brew Bags

Listeners receive 20% off with code: SHOP20

Website:

https://allthingselderberry.com

Follow Emilia:

Instagram: @emiliamrizzuto

Instagram: @allthingselderberry

Resources & Links:

• Explore Mindy’s work at www.thefreedompromise.com
• Connect with Ali at www.aliandersonwellness.com
• Learn more about Christine at www.radiantheart.health  

Subscribe & Review:

If this conversation touched your heart, please subscribe to SoulShift wherever you listen to podcasts. Your reviews and shares help us reach more people who need to hear they’re not alone.

✨ Let’s shift — gently, together. ✨

Midlife can feel confusing, exhausting, and overwhelming. But what if the symptoms you’re experiencing are actually messages guiding you toward deeper healing?

In this episode of SoulShift, hosts Ali Anderson and Mindy Gorman-Plutzer welcome Claudine Francois, a Board-Certified Functional Medicine and Holistic Health Practitioner, author, and creator of The Midlife Body Code Method.

A former CFO turned root-cause detective, Claudine now helps driven women over 40 uncover the hidden causes behind fatigue, hormonal shifts, brain fog, stubborn weight, and burnout. Through her work and her book Your Midlife Body Code, she teaches women how to decode the signals their bodies are sending, and how to reclaim lasting energy, clarity, and confidence.

Together, Ali, Mindy, and Claudine explore why burnout is so common in midlife, how chronic stress impacts hormones and the nervous system, and why healing starts with understanding the body’s signals rather than suppressing them.

If you’ve ever wondered why midlife symptoms seem to appear all at once or why traditional health advice often falls short, this conversation offers a compassionate and practical roadmap for restoring balance.

What We Explore in This Episode

Why Burnout Often Peaks in Midlife - Claudine explains how hormonal changes, especially declining estrogen and progesterone reduce the body’s ability to buffer stress. Without that support, chronic stress begins to show up as exhaustion, brain fog, irritability, and metabolic issues.

The Body Is Communicating—Not Betraying You - Many women feel like their bodies are working against them in midlife. Claudine reframes symptoms as important signals that reveal what the body needs for healing and balance.

The Decode → Realign → Reclaim Framework - Claudine introduces the three-step methodology from her book:

• Decode – Identify the root causes behind symptoms such as hormonal imbalance, gut dysfunction, nervous system stress, or mineral deficiencies.
• Realign – Rebuild foundational health systems like sleep, blood sugar balance, minerals, digestion, and nervous system regulation.
• Reclaim – Restore energy, clarity, confidence, and vitality once the body receives the support it needs.

Nervous System Safety and Stress Recovery - Living in constant “fight-or-flight” mode prevents the body from performing essential functions like digestion, hormone production, and cellular repair. Creating safety in the nervous system is a key first step in healing.

Why Restriction Often Backfires - Many women trying to “fix” their health are under-eating or overly restricting food. Claudine emphasizes nourishment, foundational nutrients, and inflammation reduction rather than extreme diets.

Reclaiming Identity in Midlife - Midlife is not a decline—it can be a powerful phase of rediscovery. This episode explores how women can reconnect with who they truly are beneath years of stress, expectations, and self-sacrifice.

Key Takeaways

• Midlife symptoms are signals—not failures

• Chronic stress disrupts hormones, digestion, and metabolism

• Healing starts with foundational support, not restriction

• Nervous system regulation is essential for recovery

• Midlife can be a powerful time to reclaim your identity and vitality

Resources Mentioned

Your Midlife Body Code book

Amazon and major book retailers

Learn more at:

https://www.thelovingdiet.com

https://www.ingoodcleantaste.com

Follow Claudine:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claudine.r.francois

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ingoodcleantaste

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ingoodcleantaste905

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudine-francois-6314461

Resources & Links:

• Explore Mindy’s work at www.thefreedompromise.com
• Connect with Ali at www.aliandersonwellness.com
• Learn more about Christine at www.radiantheart.health  

Subscribe & Review:

If this conversation touched your heart, please subscribe to SoulShift wherever you listen to podcasts. Your reviews and shares help us reach more people who need to hear they’re not alone.

✨ Let’s shift — gently, together. ✨

GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound are transforming how millions of people approach weight loss and metabolic health. These medications can dramatically quiet “food noise,” reduce cravings, and lead to rapid physical changes.

But what happens after the noise quiets?

In this powerful conversation on SoulShift, the SoulShift Sisters sit down with Jessica Brown, functional medicine clinical nutritionist, compassion teacher, and founder of The Loving Diet.

Jessica has spent more than 25 years helping people transform their relationship with food, body image, and self-worth. A Stanford-certified compassion teacher and expert in compassion-based re-parenting, she has guided thousands of individuals toward sustainable healing through mind-body integration and emotional repair.

She is the author of Beyond the Shot, the first comprehensive guide focused specifically on the emotional and psychological challenges of GLP-1 therapy.

In this episode, Jessica explains why medications can be a powerful tool—but not the transformation itself. Real healing begins when we address the deeper beliefs, trauma patterns, and emotional coping mechanisms that shaped our relationship with food in the first place.

When the food noise quiets, it creates a rare opportunity: space to finally heal the root causes.

🔑 In This Episode We Explore

• What “food noise” actually is—and why GLP-1 medications reduce it

• Why weight loss alone rarely heals the deeper emotional struggle with food

• How self-compassion and re-parenting practices help heal food trauma

• The connection between the nervous system, trauma, and eating behaviors

• Why childhood experiences often shape lifelong beliefs about food and body

• What happens psychologically when rapid weight loss occurs

• Why some people experience imposter syndrome after losing weight

• How compassion can regulate the nervous system and build emotional resilience

• The role of belief systems and self-worth in long-term health transformation

• Practical steps to take before starting a GLP-1 medication

🧾 Practical Advice for Starting GLP-1 Therapy

Jessica also shares practical steps for anyone considering or starting GLP-1 medications.

Her top recommendations include:

1️⃣ Build a Support Team

Work with doctors, nutrition professionals, and emotional support resources.

2️⃣ Get a Baseline DEXA Scan

Understanding lean muscle mass, bone density, and visceral fat is critical.

3️⃣ Protect Muscle Mass

Prioritize protein intake and resistance training.

4️⃣ Support Gut Health

Inflammation and microbiome balance affect metabolic outcomes.

5️⃣ Address the Emotional Journey

Weight loss can trigger unexpected psychological responses that deserve support.

📚 Resources Mentioned

Guest Website

https://www.thelovingdiet.com 

Connect with Jessica

Instagram / TikTok / Social: @thelovingdiet

Books by Jessica Brown

• Beyond the Shot

• The Loving Diet

Resources & Links:

• Explore Mindy’s work at www.thefreedompromise.com
• Connect with Ali at www.aliandersonwellness.com
• Learn more about Christine at www.radiantheart.health  

Subscribe & Review:

If this conversation touched your heart, please subscribe to SoulShift wherever you listen to podcasts. Your reviews and shares help us reach more people who need to hear they’re not alone.

✨ Let’s shift — gently, together. ✨

What if the very setback that feels like it’s breaking you is actually positioning you for your greatest transformation?

In this powerful episode of SoulShift, the SoulShift Sisters welcome Dr. Diane Dye, experimentation strategist, CEO advisor, and creator of the Critical Opportunity Method — a practical, research-backed framework for turning crisis into clarity, and problems into innovation.

Dr. Diane Dye has worked with more than 500 CEOs and founders navigating growth, culture, and high-stakes decision-making. With a doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California, she specializes in helping leaders eliminate hidden risks, create psychological safety, and experiment strategically instead of reacting impulsively.

She is also the author of the workbook Creating Critical Opportunity, available on Amazon, and founder of People Risk Consulting, where she teaches leaders how to transform crisis moments into measurable breakthroughs.

But this method didn’t begin in theory.

It began when Diane was laid off four months into her master’s program — a devastating moment that could have ended her academic and professional dreams. Instead of spiraling downward into denial, ego, or self-doubt, she paused. She asked better questions. And she built what would become the Critical Opportunity Method — a structured approach to innovation grounded in awareness, consciousness, and humility.

🔑 In This Episode, We Explore:

• What a “Critical Opportunity” really is
• The difference between a downward spiral (denial, ego, disavowal) and an upward spiral (awareness, consciousness, humility)
• The neuroscience behind the “Power of the Pause”
• Why experimentation is more powerful than problem-solving
• How executive loneliness impacts innovation
• How to avoid “change chaos” in organizations
• Why unlearning what you think you know is the gateway to transformation
• How micro-experiments build confidence and measurable momentum
• The role of psychological safety in creativity and leadership
• How this method applies not just to CEOs — but to health challenges, relationships, and everyday life

🧠 The Critical Opportunity Framework

Dr. Diane Dye outlines a powerful upward spiral that begins when a crisis hits:

1️⃣ Awareness

Recognizing the problem without denial.

2️⃣ Consciousness

Understanding the environment around the problem — the people, systems, resources, and hidden dynamics influencing it.

3️⃣ Humility

Releasing ego — neither “too good” nor “not good enough” — and becoming willing to experiment.

From there, leaders learn to:

• Ask expansive questions
• Separate assumptions from truth
• Identify one “domino” action that shifts everything
• Experiment toward a solution rather than react from fear

🌊 The Power of the Pause

One of the most resonant takeaways from this conversation is Diane’s concept of “cleaning the lab.”

Before experimentation, there must be preparation.

The pause is not retreat — it is strategic readiness. It’s resetting the nervous system, stepping out of reactivity, and preparing the internal and external environment for innovation.

As the SoulShift Sisters explore through their lens of neuroscience and embodied wisdom, this process creates the capacity for creativity, problem-solving, and measurable change.

📘 Resources Mentioned

• Creating Critical Opportunity Workbook: https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Critical-Opportunity-opportunity-challenge/dp/B086Y4G9B8
• CEO Innovation Masterclass: www.peopleriskconsulting.com
• Connect with Dr. Diane Dye on LinkedIn

Connect with SoulShift:

If this episode resonated, please follow SoulShift, leave a review, and share this conversation with someone who may need hope, grounding, and inspiration today.

Until next time—be gentle with yourself, stay curious, and remember: transformation isn’t about becoming someone new, it’s about coming home to who you’ve always been.

Resources & Links:

• Explore Mindy’s work at www.thefreedompromise.com
• Connect with Ali at www.aliandersonwellness.com
• Learn more about Christine at www.radiantheart.health  

Subscribe & Review:

If this conversation touched your heart, please subscribe to SoulShift wherever you listen to podcasts. Your reviews and shares help us reach more people who need to hear they’re not alone.

✨ Let’s shift — gently, together. ✨

In this special episode of SoulShift, host Christine Morgenstern Shin introduces the very first installment of Nurture With Nature — a new series exploring immersive wellness experiences around the world that restore the nervous system, deepen embodiment, and reconnect us with the natural world.

Christine is joined by Alexandra Huber, part of the founding family behind My Arbor, a nature-inspired wellness resort nestled deep in the Dolomites of South Tyrol - Italy. Built like a modern treehouse elevated among the forest canopy, My Arbor is rooted in a philosophy of slowing down, reconnecting with nature, and healing from the inside out.

Together, they explore how nature itself becomes medicine — from forest bathing and guided silence to sauna rituals, intentional architecture, and farm-to-table nourishment. Alexandra shares the deeper meaning behind My Arbor’s name (from the Latin arbor, meaning tree), the symbolism of rootedness and flexibility, and how trees teach us resilience, regulation, and presence.

This conversation invites listeners into a gentler approach to wellness — one that doesn’t require more effort or optimization, but instead honors stillness, sensory awareness, and nervous system regulation. Through intentional design, conscious food sourcing, and embodied experiences, My Arbor offers a living example of how healing can be intuitive, sustainable, and deeply human.

If you’re longing to unplug, reconnect, and remember that you are nature too, this episode is a powerful reminder that sometimes the smallest pauses create the biggest shifts.

Connect with the My Arbor Wellness Resort:

🌿 Website: www.my-arbor.com

📸 Instagram: @my_arbor

📘 Facebook: My Arbor

Connect with SoulShift:

If this episode resonated, please follow SoulShift, leave a review, and share this conversation with someone who may need hope, grounding, and inspiration today.

Until next time—be gentle with yourself, stay curious, and remember: transformation isn’t about becoming someone new, it’s about coming home to who you’ve always been.

Resources & Links:

• Explore Mindy’s work at www.thefreedompromise.com
• Connect with Ali at www.aliandersonwellness.com
• Learn more about Christine at www.radiantheart.health  

Subscribe & Review:

If this conversation touched your heart, please subscribe to SoulShift wherever you listen to podcasts. Your reviews and shares help us reach more people who need to hear they’re not alone.

✨ Let’s shift — gently, together. ✨

Episode Overview

In this deeply moving and heart-centered episode of SoulShift, the SoulShift Sisters welcome Dr. Sandra “Sandy” Weiss, a living embodiment of courage, reinvention, and the healing power of community.

At 92 years young, Dr. Sandy shares a lifetime of wisdom shaped by love, loss, chronic illness, spiritual resilience, and an unwavering belief in the body–mind connection. Through stories of support groups, grief, rebirth, and chosen family, this conversation reminds us that our stories are never finished — and that healing can unfold at any age. 

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

• Why healing is not linear — and why it’s never “too late” to begin again
• How chronic illness support groups can become lifelines of courage and connection
• The role of love, belief, and community in navigating illness and loss
• What it means to live grounded, brave, and fully yourself through every season of life
• Lessons passed through generations — from teachers, mentors, and grandchildren
• Why food, nature, movement, and shared meals matter more than we realize
• How reinvention and joy can coexist with grief
• The power of choosing curiosity, faith, and self-trust at any age

Key Takeaways

Dr. Sandy reminds us that:

• Courage is not the absence of suffering — it’s how we meet it
• Community heals in ways medicine alone cannot
• Aging can be expansive, adventurous, and deeply meaningful
• The body, heart, and spirit are always in conversation
• You are allowed to grow, change, and begin again — again and again 

Connect with SoulShift:

If this episode resonated, please follow SoulShift, leave a review, and share this conversation with someone who may need hope, grounding, and inspiration today.

Until next time—be gentle with yourself, stay curious, and remember: transformation isn’t about becoming someone new, it’s about coming home to who you’ve always been.

Resources & Links:

• Explore Mindy’s work at www.thefreedompromise.com
• Connect with Ali at www.aliandersonwellness.com
• Learn more about Christine at www.radiantheart.health  

Subscribe & Review:

If this conversation touched your heart, please subscribe to SoulShift wherever you listen to podcasts. Your reviews and shares help us reach more people who need to hear they’re not alone.

✨ Let’s shift — gently, together. ✨

Episode Overview:

In this powerful and deeply embodied episode of SoulShift, the SoulShift Sisters welcome Murisa Harba, somatic practitioner, author, and creator of an innovative chakra-based approach to healing, emotional intelligence, and nervous system regulation. Murisa Harba works at the intersection of energy, neuroscience, creativity, and embodiment—helping humans reconnect with their bodies to release trauma, regulate emotions, and restore authentic self-expression.

Murisa is the author of Acting With Energy, a top-selling book in ten countries, and her work—originally developed for actors—has now expanded to support anyone seeking healing, clarity, and deeper self-awareness.

This episode explores how emotions live in the body, why talking alone isn’t always enough to heal trauma, and how learning to read energy and sensation can transform relationships, creativity, and everyday life. Murisa shares her personal story of trusting her body’s inner knowing, her framework for understanding the seven chakras, and how masculine and feminine energy dynamics impact communication and conflict.

Together, the conversation bridges ancient wisdom and modern neuroscience—making somatic healing accessible, practical, and deeply human.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

• How Murisa followed a moment of embodied truth that ultimately led her from New York to Los Angeles
• Why trauma is stored in the body—and how movement releases what words cannot
• The seven chakras as a practical emotional and physiological map
• How blocked energy shows up as physical symptoms, emotional patterns, and relationship challenges
• The difference between reacting and responding through nervous system awareness
• Masculine and feminine energy explained in a grounded, non-gendered way
• How holding space can de-escalate conflict in seconds
• Why creativity, play, and performance can be powerful healing containers
• How emotional intelligence becomes body intelligence
• Tools for navigating relationships with greater empathy, clarity, and regulation

Key Takeaways

• Emotions don’t just live in the mind—they live in the body
• Healing requires embodiment, not just insight
• Nervous systems protect us long after danger has passed
• Reading energy in the body builds true emotional intelligence
• Relationships shift when one person can regulate and hold space
• Small somatic shifts create profound life transformations

Resources & Guest Links

• Murisa Harba: www.murisaharba.com 
• About the Work: www.about-the-work.com 
• Instagram: @murisaharba
• Facebook: Murisa Harba Durrant
• LinkedIn: Murisa Harba
• Book: Acting With Energy
• Masculine/Feminine Energy: How To De-escalate An Argument In 5 Seconds Flat! https://tinyurl.com/HowTo-De-Escalate-In-5sec

Connect with SoulShift:

If this episode resonated, please follow SoulShift, leave a review, and share this conversation with someone who may need hope, grounding, and inspiration today.

Until next time—be gentle with yourself, stay curious, and remember: transformation isn’t about becoming someone new, it’s about coming home to who you’ve always been.

Resources & Links:

• Explore Mindy’s work at www.thefreedompromise.com
• Connect with Ali at www.aliandersonwellness.com
• Learn more about Christine at www.radiantheart.health  

Subscribe & Review:

If this conversation touched your heart, please subscribe to SoulShift wherever you listen to podcasts. Your reviews and shares help us reach more people who need to hear they’re not alone.

✨ Let’s shift — gently, together. ✨

Episode Description / Show Notes

In this deeply nourishing episode of SoulShift, hosts Christine Morgenstern Shin and Mindy Gorman-Plutzer welcome Mary Collette Rogers, founder of The New Kitchen and creator of Meal Making Transformation. With over 35 years of experience in healthy cooking, coaching, and education, Mary shares a powerful reframe: cooking is not a chore — it’s a sacred, transformational pathway to health, connection, and personal power.

Mary Collette Rogers is a self-described Meal Making Transformationalist and the heart behind the nonprofit The New Kitchen, whose mission is to help everyday people turn healthy meal making into something manageable, meaningful, and even joyful. Drawing from decades of work as a healthy cooking instructor, author, and software developer, Mary invites us to reclaim the kitchen as an ally rather than an enemy — and to bridge the “implementation gap” between wanting to eat well and actually doing it in real life.

Together, Christine, Mindy, and Mary explore how modern convenience culture and diet culture have disconnected us from ancient traditions of nourishment, embodiment, and community. They discuss why mindset is just as important as recipes, how cooking regulates the nervous system, and how simple sensory experiences in the kitchen can restore calm, creativity, and presence.

This conversation is an invitation to create a new eating culture — one rooted in value, respect, simplicity, and joy — starting right in your own kitchen.

Key Themes & Takeaways

• Why cooking is a critical (and overlooked) pathway to physical and emotional health
• The concept of Meal Making Transformation and closing the “implementation gap”
• How convenience culture and diet culture shaped our beliefs about food and cooking
• Reclaiming the kitchen as a place of empowerment, creativity, and nervous system regulation
• Simple meal-making techniques that reduce overwhelm and build confidence
• How sensory experiences in cooking support mindfulness and embodiment
• Shifting from “what should I eat?” to “what could I eat to honor myself?”
• Creating a new, values-based food culture in your home and community

Guest Resources

• 🌿 Website: www.TheNewKitchen.org
• ▶️ YouTube: @TheNewKitchen-MaryCollette
• 🍲 Cooking Classes Playlist: Mary’s Cooking Classes Playlist (YouTube)
• https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUV3KYlZ0PXApsZwBLfmFwM-4KxoiMrrN

Connect with SoulShift:

If this episode resonated, please follow SoulShift, leave a review, and share this conversation with someone who may need hope, grounding, and inspiration today.

Until next time—be gentle with yourself, stay curious, and remember: transformation isn’t about becoming someone new, it’s about coming home to who you’ve always been.

Resources & Links:

• Explore Mindy’s work at www.thefreedompromise.com
• Connect with Ali at www.aliandersonwellness.com
• Learn more about Christine at www.radiantheart.health  

Subscribe & Review:

If this conversation touched your heart, please subscribe to SoulShift wherever you listen to podcasts. Your reviews and shares help us reach more people who need to hear they’re not alone.

✨ Let’s shift — gently, together. ✨

In this episode of SoulShift, host Ali Anderson sits down with Dr. Amy Divaraniya, Founder and CEO of Oova, to explore how women can reclaim power over their hormone health by combining real-time data, intuition, and nervous system awareness.

Dr. Amy Divaraniya is a data scientist with over a decade of experience in genomics and biomarker discovery, and the creator of Oova, the first at-home hormone test that measures multiple hormones in urine and delivers clinically backed insights in real time. After navigating her own fertility challenges, Dr. Amy turned personal experience into innovation — building a tool now trusted by over 500 U.S. clinics to support women through fertility, perimenopause, and midlife hormone shifts. She has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, CBS News, and more.

Together, Ali and Dr. Amy unpack how hormone tracking can help women move beyond vague symptoms like “I just don’t feel like myself” and into informed, empowered conversations with their healthcare providers.

This conversation bridges science and soul, honoring intuition while also recognizing the grounding power of data — especially during seasons like perimenopause, fertility journeys, and major life transitions.

In This Episode, You’ll Explore:

• Why hormone data helps women be taken more seriously in medical settings
• How tracking estrogen, progesterone, and ovulation reveals patterns behind sleep, mood, and energy
• The relationship between hormones, cortisol, stress, and the nervous system
• Why perimenopause is often misdiagnosed — and how symptom tracking creates clarity
• How lifestyle, nutrition, and mindset support hormone balance alongside (or instead of) medication
• The importance of community, grace, and curiosity during midlife transitions
• How Oova supports women from their first cycle through their last — and beyond

Dr. Amy also shares deeply personal reflections from her fertility journey, illustrating how chronic stress and emotional suppression can impact hormone health — and why nervous system regulation is foundational to healing.

This episode invites listeners to ask a powerful question:

What would my body tell me if I listened with both love and data?

Resources & Guest Info

• Website: www.oova.life
• Instagram: @oovalife

Using Daily Hormone Tracking to Understand the Impact of Sleep on Perimenopausal Hormone Fluctuations   Click here to read the study published in The Menopause Society by Dr. Amy Divaraniya and Elinor Hills of Oova, Inc., and Ali Anderson, which was later presented at the 2024 North American Menopause Society Annual Meeting.

If this episode resonated, share it with someone navigating fertility, perimenopause, or a season of change. Leave a review and join us for more heart-centered conversations about healing from the inside out.

Connect with SoulShift:

If this episode resonated, please follow SoulShift, leave a review, and share this conversation with someone who may need hope, grounding, and inspiration today.

Until next time—be gentle with yourself, stay curious, and remember: transformation isn’t about becoming someone new, it’s about coming home to who you’ve always been.

Resources & Links:

• Explore Mindy’s work at www.thefreedompromise.com
• Connect with Ali at www.aliandersonwellness.com
• Learn more about Christine at www.radiantheart.health  

Subscribe & Review:

If this conversation touched your heart, please subscribe to SoulShift wherever you listen to podcasts. Your reviews and shares help us reach more people who need to hear they’re not alone.

✨ Let’s shift — gently, together. ✨