In this powerful episode, nutritionist and bestselling author Maria Emmerich shares her journey from a sick teenager with PCOS to becoming a leading voice in ketogenic nutrition who has helped millions heal. From writing her first book on a library computer after losing everything to helping clients reverse serious health conditions, Maria's story is one of resilience and unwavering dedication to healing others.

I'll walk you through:

✅ How Maria discovered the ketogenic lifestyle at 16 when told she couldn't have children

✅ Why the carnivore approach reverses diabetes, Parkinson's, and autoimmune conditions

✅ The truth about hormones for women over 30 and why hormone replacement therapy matters

✅ How her husband's chronic illness led them deeper into carnivore healing

✅ Why steak has more nutrients than kale and how to replace food addictions with better alternatives

✅ The mental health connection between food and mood

Maria opens up about the personal struggles that fuel her passion, from adoption challenges to watching her husband navigate illness with grace. Whether you're struggling with weight loss or chronic health issues, Maria offers both the science and heart behind true healing.

🔔 Remember: You don't have to choose between feeling good and enjoying food—sometimes the path to healing means learning to nourish yourself in completely new ways.

======================================================== Maria's relevant links:

Website: https://ketomaria.com

Instagram: @mariaemmerich

In this solo episode, I reflect on the profound importance of faith as the foundation for a joyful life and healthy relationships. Inspired by a recent podcast interview where I felt a reverend missed an opportunity to deeply address spiritual questions, I share my own perspective on how religion provides structure, meaning, and true peace in our increasingly chaotic world.

I'll walk you through:

✅ Why religion isn't just an accessory but should be the very structure of our lives

✅ How placing God at the center creates balance in marriage, family, and career

✅ The connection between women's health struggles and the modern pressure to "do it all"

✅ Why suffering has meaning and how faith transforms our response to life's challenges

✅ The divine order that brings harmony to relationships: God first, spouse second, children third

Whether you're deeply religious, spiritually curious, or simply seeking more balance and joy in your relationships, this episode offers an honest look at how returning to foundational values can transform your life. I share my personal journey from New Age spirituality to finding true peace through traditional faith, and how this shift has completely changed my approach to therapy, marriage, and life's inevitable suffering.

🔔 Remember: The path to joy isn't found in control or endless achievement, but in surrendering to something greater and recognizing the divine design for our relationships.

In this episode, Catholic educator Ester Munt-Brooks shares her remarkable journey from being a free-spirited musician in Barcelona to discovering deeper meaning through faith and family. From touring Spain as a trumpet player living "la vida loca" to becoming a dedicated mother, wife, and theological scholar, Ester's transformation offers profound insights on living with purpose.

I'll walk you through:

✅ How Ester's move from secular Barcelona to America led to a spiritual awakening

✅ Why the 50/50 marriage concept fails and how 100/100 commitment transforms relationships

✅ The counterintuitive wisdom of sacrifice as a pathway to fulfillment and joy

✅ Finding meaning in suffering and how to "offer up" life's challenges

✅ The importance of prioritizing family in our achievement-focused culture

✅ How wisdom trumps intelligence in creating a meaningful life

Whether you're questioning your current priorities, struggling to balance career ambitions with family life, or seeking to deepen your faith journey, Ester offers thoughtful perspective on finding truth in relationships, work, and daily living. Her story reminds us that fulfillment comes not from worldly success but through authentic connections and a willingness to love deeply.

🔔 Remember: Love isn't just an emotion—it's a verb. The more you sacrifice, the more you love, and paradoxically, the more fulfilled you become.

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Ester's relevant links:

Website: https://fevaloryalegria.org

Instagram: @faithwithjoytalks

In this episode, Erin and Dusty Stanzik share their transformative journey toward holistic health and wellness. From battling emotional and physical challenges in their 20s to discovering the healing power of food, movement, and faith, Erin and Dusty reveal how their approach to wellness has radically shifted.

Erin and Dusty are certified health & lifestyle coaches, online content creators, authors, international retreat hosts, and founders of EatMoveRest.com. In her 20s, Erin found herself in a severe state of dis-ease, both physically and mentally. With no answers from doctors, she took matters into her own hands. Alongside Dusty, they embraced food as medicine and adopted a whole-food plant-based diet. The two finally found healing, abundant energy, and a newfound love for life. Together, with their three children, they educate, encourage, and empower others to eat, move, and rest their best.

I'll walk you through:

✅ How Erin and Dusty navigated emotional struggles and physical symptoms in their 20s

✅ Why the journey to health started with food as medicine

✅ The importance of food freedom and its role in mental clarity and body positivity

✅ Why adopting a plant-based diet wasn’t just a trend but a lifestyle change

✅ How their personal struggles led to a deeper partnership in both marriage and health

✅ Balancing family life, homeschooling, and running a business as a family of five

Whether you're struggling with health issues, seeking more balance in life, or trying to find harmony in your marriage, this episode offers real-life insight from a couple who has transformed their lives from the inside out. It’s not about perfection—it’s about embracing the process of becoming your healthiest self together.

🔔 Remember: Health isn't just about food—it's about balance, partnership, and transformation, inside and out.

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Relevant Links for Erin and Dusty:

YouTube: https://www.YouTube.com/EatMoveRest

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ErinStanczyk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dbstanczyk

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatmoverest?_t=ZT-8uTR3Hl9WWc&_r=1

In this episode, I'm joined by Carrie Gress—philosopher, scholar, editor of Theology of Home, and mother of five—for a deeply thoughtful conversation on what it truly means to reclaim womanhood in today's world. Together, we explore why so many women find themselves feeling unfulfilled despite promises of empowerment through modern feminism—and how restoring the true essence of femininity might be the key to deeper peace, purpose, and connection.

Carrie shares her unique journey from a liberal upbringing to becoming a strong advocate for faith, tradition, and intentional living. We’ll walk you through:

✅ Why balancing personal aspirations with family bonds creates true empowerment—not division

✅ How the home can be reimagined as a sanctuary of peace and justice rather than a battleground for societal expectations

✅ The surprising ways historical movements have manipulated women’s emotions—and how awareness brings freedom

✅ Why practices like honoring a Sabbath rest are more essential today than ever for mental clarity and family restoration

✅ How to navigate marriage with mutual support, open communication, and a new understanding of healthy roles within relationships

Whether you're feeling caught between career ambitions and family life, questioning what feminine strength really looks like, or simply yearning for more harmony amidst the chaos, this conversation offers a refreshing, compassionate lens through which to view modern womanhood.

🔔 Remember: True strength lies not in conforming to outside pressures—but in living with intentionality, gratitude, and grace. Your gifts are needed, both in your work and your relationships.

🔔 Carrie’s insights offer a call to return to what matters most—and to redefine success on your own terms. Don’t miss this enriching dialogue that invites you to live from a place of true empowerment and purpose.

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Relevant Links for Carrie:

Website: https://www.carriegress.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carrie.gress/

In this episode, I'm joined by Luanne Rae, a registered psychiatric nurse, therapist, and behavioral consultant for children with a thriving private practice. We dive into why today's parents are overwhelmed with conflicting advice and how finding the balance between "jellyfish" and "brick wall" parenting is crucial for raising confident children.

Luanne shares her expertise on why children are desperately seeking leadership from their parents in today's confusing world. We'll walk you through:

✅ Why "backbone parenting" provides the structure children need while avoiding authoritarian approaches

✅ How overlooking basics like sleep and screen time can lead to misdiagnosed behavioral issues

✅ The importance of assigning age-appropriate chores to build a child's sense of value and purpose

✅ Why presenting a united parenting front is essential for a child's security

✅ How the modern parenting "village" has disappeared and what we can do about it

Whether you're confused by contradictory parenting advice on social media, wondering if your child's behavior indicates ADHD, or simply trying to find your confidence as a parent, this episode offers practical wisdom that cuts through the noise.

🔔 Remember: This isn't about perfect parenting—it's about giving yourself grace while maintaining enough structure that your children feel secure in your leadership.

🔔 Luanne is also launching her upcoming "Practical Positive Parenting" course on May 16th for parents seeking to reconnect with their parenting instincts.

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Relevant Links for Luanne:

Websites:

https://www.lighthousewellnesscentre.com/about-us/luanne-rae

https://luanne-rae.mykajabi.com/sign-up-parenting-email-1

IG (and details for the upcoming course): https://www.instagram.com/mother_on_the_lus/

In this episode, I'm joined by Erica Komisar, a psychoanalyst and parent guidance expert with over 30 years of experience, to discuss the critical importance of attachment in early childhood development. We explore why a parent's physical and emotional presence during the first three years is fundamental to a child's future mental health and resilience. Erica shares compelling neuroscience research showing how 85% of a child's right brain—responsible for emotional regulation and coping with adversity—is formed in these crucial early years.

We'll walk you through:

✅ Why the primary attachment figure (usually the mother) is irreplaceable in establishing a child's sense of security

✅ How modern society's pressure on women to "do it all" is creating a mental health crisis in our children

✅ Why daycare and technology can't substitute for a parent's consistent emotional presence

✅ The problem with prioritizing career achievement over the sacred work of parenting

✅ How building community support can transform the isolation many mothers feel

Whether you're struggling with guilt about returning to work, feeling pressured by society's expectations, or simply trying to understand what your child truly needs from you, this episode offers research-backed insights that might challenge conventional wisdom but could transform your approach to parenting.

🔔 Remember: This isn't about shaming parents who must work, but about recognizing the biological reality of attachment and finding creative solutions that prioritize our children's emotional wellbeing. Sometimes the most important career decision you'll make isn't which job to take—it's how present you can be during those crucial first three years.

What if your marriage isn’t broken… it’s just out of sync with design?

In today’s episode, I share a heartfelt message about the trap of hyper-independence and how it can quietly erode connection in a relationship. Drawing from personal experience and client stories, I invite you to shift from “I” thinking to the sacred strength of “We.”

You’ll hear:

✅ Why sameness isn’t the goal—and how God-ordained difference creates true intimacy

✅ How independence can subtly crowd out partnership in marriage

✅ The cost of keeping score—and what happens when we stop

✅ What it means to give from your strengths instead of your exhaustion

✅ How to return to spiritual synergy in your relationship

If your relationship feels more like a business partnership than a sacred bond, this episode is for you. 

You’re not alone—and you’re not failing. You're being invited to rediscover the beauty of complementarity and the quiet power of choosing each other again.

✨ Because lasting love isn’t found in perfection—it’s found in offering your strength, your softness, and your willingness to grow, together.

In this episode, we're tackling the trap of overanalyzing your emotions and why too much self-reflection can actually hold you back. While understanding your feelings is valuable, constantly dissecting them can keep you stuck in a cycle of doubt and hesitation instead of moving forward.

I’ll cover:

✅ Why endless self-analysis can make problems feel bigger than they are

✅ The difference between healthy reflection and emotional overprocessing

✅ How overthinking can drain your confidence and decision-making ability

✅ Practical ways to shift from excessive introspection to productive action

✅ Why focusing outward—on purpose and relationships—creates real growth

If you've ever felt paralyzed by your own thoughts, unsure whether you're making the "right" emotional choice, this episode will give you a fresh perspective. True self-awareness isn’t about analyzing every feeling—it’s about knowing when to let go and trust yourself.

🔗 Resource Mentioned: The Gottman Rapoport Intervention – a structured exercise designed to improve communication, strengthen emotional bonds, and help couples navigate challenges with deeper understanding.

🔔 And remember, clarity comes from action, not just reflection. The key is learning when to think, when to feel, and when to simply move forward.

In this episode, I explore the role of sacrifice in relationships, why work-life balance is harder than ever, and how our biological differences as men and women shape the way we navigate life. I also share a personal journey of rediscovering faith and how it has brought me more joy and fulfillment—not less—by shifting my perspective on sacrifice.

In this episode, I explore:

✅ Why women often prioritize children over their spouse—and how that impacts marriage

✅ The reality of burnout, adrenal fatigue, and why women need more grace

✅ The difference between equality and sameness in relationships

✅ Why men and women approach stress, work, and validation differently

And yes, there's a new podcast name! Tune in as I unpack why I made the change, what it means for future episodes, and why embracing the messiness of growth is part of the journey.