🌿 Earthley creates truly natural, non-toxic herbal remedies made with simple, real ingredients you can trust. Use code ancestral10 for 10% off → https://www.earthley.com

You're eating clean. You're working out. So why is the scale still going up?

In this episode, Corey and Christine welcome functional nutritionist Deanna DeWitt, a women's hormone specialist who spent her late 20s and early 30s battling gut issues, anxiety, and hormone chaos before the conventional medical system left her with little more than an IBS label and a handful of prescriptions. After healing herself, she traded her fast-paced LA career for functional nutrition school and has now spent nearly a decade helping women lose weight without starving themselves, over-exercising, or counting a single calorie.

Together, they take apart the "eat less, exercise more" advice that fails most women after 35, why chronic stress signals your body to store fat for safety, and how cortisol quietly spikes blood sugar even when you're eating the cleanest diet imaginable. Deanna explains metabolic flexibility, the sugar-burner vs. fat-burner switch, and why your thyroid actually needs carbs. The conversation gets honest about calorie restriction, the keto and carnivore crash so few are talking about, 4am workouts that backfire, and how to start syncing your nutrition and movement with your cycle.

✨ Topics Covered in This Episode:

✔️ Why "eat less, exercise more" stops working after your mid-30s

✔️ How chronic stress puts your body into fat-storage survival mode

✔️ The hidden link between cortisol and blood sugar (even on a clean diet)

✔️ Metabolic flexibility and the sugar-burner vs. fat-burner switch

✔️ Why your thyroid needs carbs, and the keto/carnivore crash no one talks about

✔️ Calorie restriction and why 1,500 calories may be keeping you stuck

✔️ The truth about 4am workouts and how they backfire on your hormones

✔️ Strength training vs. HIIT vs. Pilates for women's hormones

✔️ Cycle syncing your food, fasting, and movement throughout the month

✔️ Why morning sunlight is a non-negotiable metabolic reset

✔️ Blue light, circadian rhythm, and evening snacking

✔️ Navigating perimenopause and menopausal belly fat naturally

✔️ The body's "whispers" — early signs your hormones need support

🧠 More About This Episode: This episode is for every woman who's doing everything "right" and still feeling stuck, frustrated, and betrayed by her own body. It's for the mom in her late 30s and 40s wondering why the rules suddenly changed, and for anyone navigating perimenopause, weight-loss resistance, or the exhaustion of chronic stress. Practical, validating, and full of micro-habits you can start tomorrow morning.

📚 Resources & Links Mentioned:

📍 Deanna's Nourish Program & Website – https://deannadewitt.com/

📍 Deanna on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/deannadee/

📍 The Minnesota Starvation Experiment (referenced study)

📍 Join our Patreon Community – https://patreon.com/modernancestralmamas

📍 NEW Website – https://www.modernancestralmamas.com

📍 Earthley – https://www.earthley.com (code: ancestral10 for 10% off)

✨ Support the Show!

👍 Like & Subscribe for more ancestral motherhood conversations

⭐ Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

💬 Comment below: What's one piece of weight-loss advice you've stopped believing?

#weightloss #perimenopause #hormonehealth #ancestralliving #cyclesyncing #ModernAncestralMamas #RealFood #MotherhoodWellness #MomLife #functionalnutrition

📲 Stay Connected:

Patreon Community | https://www.patreon.com/c/ModernAncestralMamas

@fornutrientssake | https://www.instagram.com/fornutrientssake/

@nourishthelittles | https://www.instagram.com/nourishthelittles/

@modernancestralmamas | https://www.instagram.com/modernancestralmamas/

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ModernAncestralMamas

Website | https://www.modernancestralmamas.com 

🌿 Earthley creates truly natural, non-toxic herbal remedies made with simple, real ingredients you can trust. Use code ancestral10 for 10% off → https://www.earthley.com

The crunchy movement has a dogma problem, and even the homesteaders are starting to question it.

In this episode, Corey and Christine sit down with Sarah Stutsman of Wellfolk Revival, a homesteading mom of three teen daughters in Pennsylvania who has spent nearly two decades raising chickens, milking cows, fermenting everything, and teaching community classes in her renovated garage. But Sarah comes to the conversation with a confession: she's been holding her ancestral lifestyle a little too tightly. She's reading *The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry*, taking candle-light showers, and just last week, she bought cereal at the regular grocery store. Not the organic kind. And she's wondering if some of what she's been doing has cost her joy.

Together, they unpack the trap of "perfect" ancestral living, why Sarah is rethinking the high-fat carnivore-leaning approach as she enters her mid-40s, the truth about perimenopause (and whether the word itself is a pharmaceutical invention), and how chronic stress may be spiking our blood sugar without a single bite of food. Corey and Christine also get into the cultural addiction to busyness and self-sabotage, the power of effort-based dopamine, and why Sarah installed a landline in her farmhouse to fight the constant phone reach.

✨ *Topics Covered in This Episode:*

✔️ Why ancestral living can become its own form of diet culture

✔️ Sarah's countercultural rhythms: candle-light showers, dry brushing, castor oil packs

✔️ Installing a landline in 2026 (and why more families are doing it)

✔️ Cory's no-baby-containers approach with her newborn

✔️ The truth about perimenopause and whether it's a modern construct

✔️ Why indigenous women historically didn't experience perimenopause

✔️ How stress alone can spike blood sugar without food

✔️ Effort-based dopamine vs. instant gratification (and why your brain needs the hard stuff)

✔️ "Power-down hours" for the whole family, including teens

✔️ Raising three daughters with one shared phone

✔️ Why busyness is its own addiction and self-sabotage is a cultural pattern

✔️ The lost art of doing hard things together (canning, processing, putting up food)

✔️ Why your friends actually want to be your burden

✔️ Sarah's Wellfolk Revival community classes and how she built them from scratch

🧠 *More About This Episode:*

This episode is for any mama who's deep in the crunchy world and starting to feel the weight of it, anyone questioning whether perfect ancestral living is actually serving her family, and every mom navigating the messy middle of hormonal shifts, teen daughters, and modern motherhood. It's honest, reflective, and a little bit of a permission slip.

📚 *Resources & Links Mentioned:*

📍 *Wellfolk Revival* (Sarah's website, classes, and upcoming hormone guide) – https://www.wellfolkrevival.com

📍 *Sarah on Instagram* – @wellfolkrevival

📍 *The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry* by John Mark Comer

📍 *Join our Patreon Community* – https://patreon.com/modernancestralmamas

📍 *NEW Website* – https://www.modernancestralmamas.com

📍 *Knead Your Cure Conference* (August 2026 in Oxford, MS) - https://www.kneadyourcure.com/

📍 *Earthley* – https://www.earthley.com (code: ancestral10 for 10% off)

✨ *Support the Show!*

👍 Like & Subscribe for more ancestral motherhood conversations

⭐ Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

💬 Comment below: What's one part of crunchy living you've started to question?

#homesteading #perimenopause #ancestralliving #crunchymom #slowliving #ModernAncestralMamas #RealFood #MotherhoodWellness #MomLife #WellfolkRevival

📲 Stay Connected:

Patreon Community | https://www.patreon.com/c/ModernAncestralMamas

@fornutrientssake | https://www.instagram.com/fornutrientssake/

@nourishthelittles | https://www.instagram.com/nourishthelittles/

@modernancestralmamas | https://www.instagram.com/modernancestralmamas/

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ModernAncestralMamas 

🌿 Earthley creates truly natural, non-toxic herbal remedies made with simple, real ingredients you can trust. Use code ancestral10 for 10% off → https://www.earthley.com

The fourth trimester is a lie, and your body knows it.

In this episode, Corey and Christine sit down for a long-overdue catch-up after Christine's maternity leave from the podcast. Now six weeks postpartum with baby #4, Christine shares the realization that's reshaped how she thinks about motherhood: humans aren't built to bounce back. We're "carrier mammals," biologically wired to hold our underdeveloped babies for months after birth, and the cultural expectation to return to "normal" in 12 weeks is working against every instinct our bodies have.

Together, they unpack the three types of mammals (and why it matters for new moms), why Christine says it took her three full years to feel like herself after her last baby, and how doing postpartum #4 with real support, including family, a postpartum chef, and extra help in the home, opened her eyes to what previous postpartums had cost her. Corey and Christine also push back on mommy wine culture, talk about why the most chill moms they know are the ones with the biggest families, and reflect on six years of doing this podcast together.

✨ *Topics Covered in This Episode:*

✔️ The three types of mammals (nesting, carrier, and follower) and why humans are carriers

✔️ Why babies are essentially "born three months early" and need to be held

✔️ Christine's six-week postpartum update with baby #4

✔️ Why the fourth trimester is closer to two or three years than three months

✔️ What it's like to do postpartum with a real village vs. completely alone

✔️ Hiring a postpartum chef and why nourishment matters more than restriction

✔️ Why big-family moms are often the most joyful and relaxed

✔️ Pushing back on mommy wine culture and motherhood-as-drudgery

✔️ Corey's new cookbook *What Do I Feed These Kids?*, a real food cheat sheet

✔️ The launch of the Modern Ancestral Mamas website

✔️ Upcoming conferences in 2026, including Need Your Cure in Oxford, MS and Weston A. Price in DC

✔️ Why women were never meant to do postpartum alone

🧠 *More About This Episode:*

This episode is for any mom in the trenches of postpartum, any mother who has ever wondered why she didn't feel like herself for years after having a baby, and anyone who needs the reminder that motherhood is a calling worth celebrating, not a chore to survive. It's warm, honest, and a little nerdy about mammal biology.

📚 *Resources & Links Mentioned:*

📍 *What Do I Feed These Kids? A Real Food Cheat Sheet* by Corey – https://www.fornutrientssake.com/shop/p/4xp1fet4qsg0260nqneem6ahlpkq54

📍 *Join our Patreon Community* – https://patreon.com/modernancestralmamas

📍 *NEW Website* – https://www.modernancestralmamas.com

📍 *Knead Your Cure Conference* (August 14-15, 2026 in Oxford, MS) - https://www.kneadyourcure.com/ 📍

*Weston A. Price Foundation Conference* (October 2026, Washington DC) - https://www.westonaprice.org/get-involved/conferences/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=415527510&gbraid=0AAAAADiY3lq80cXhgOfdh2V-vU5CtgjOj&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlLDQBhDjARIsAPlIefHdvKOKIxAO69qxYuEjEKK1IvRjeA0k2V-qnS4C5pnW3p4Y8IOy3pIaAoxHEALw_wcB#gsc.tab=0

📍 *Masienda* – nixtamalized masa for homemade tortillas - https://masienda.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoq1OGBPk3ti3xPzBeHk167J8DKl1hBkJa4H0xcWfFPQNUm-sNCz

📍 *Vitamin T* cookbook by Masienda - https://masienda.com/products/vitamina-t?srsltid=AfmBOop82fVnQmXWMFdXjoehRWzJm_m68M8jT74Zf1R-2qUb6lWUzaYC

📍 *Earthley* – https://www.earthley.com (code: ancestral10 for 10% off)

✨ *Support the Show!*

👍 Like & Subscribe for more ancestral motherhood conversations

⭐ Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

💬 Comment below: What's one thing you wish someone had told you about postpartum?

#postpartum #fourthtrimester #carriermammals #AncestralLiving #MotherhoodWellness #ModernAncestralMamas #RealFood #PostpartumSupport #MomLife #NewMom

📲 Stay Connected:

Patreon Community | https://www.patreon.com/c/ModernAncestralMamas

@fornutrientssake | https://www.instagram.com/fornutrientssake/

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@modernancestralmamas | https://www.instagram.com/modernancestralmamas/

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ModernAncestralMamas 

🌿 Earthley creates truly natural, non-toxic herbal remedies made with simple, real ingredients you can trust. Use code ancestral10 for 10% off → https://www.earthley.com

The generation raised on ultra-processed food is starting to fight back.

In this episode, Corey and Christine welcome Bishaka Chowdhury, a Gen Z health advocate and content creator behind @foodlicious444, for the third installment of their series: Gen Z and How One Generation Is Changing the Future of Food. Born in Bangladesh and raised in the U.S., Bishaka shares how growing up between two food cultures, going vegan and watching her health crash at 80 lbs, and finally returning to nutrient-dense, ancestral eating shaped her mission to wake up her generation to what's really in their food.

Together, they unpack why Gen Z is fed up with ultra-processed everything, how Bishaka's parents developed diabetes after moving to the U.S., and why her mom still drives hours to source real ingredients from her home country. Bishaka gets honest about the cultural pressure to grab fast food on every corner, the "cheat day" mindset that keeps her peers stuck, and why she thinks millennials were "the guinea pig generation" — raised on the food experiment Gen Z is now refusing to continue.

✨ Topics Covered in This Episode:

✔️ Bishaka's journey from vegan health crash to nutrient-dense eating

✔️ Growing up between Bangladeshi food culture and the standard American diet

✔️ How her parents developed diabetes after moving to the U.S.

✔️ Why traditional fats like ghee are being replaced with seed oils — even in cultural cuisine

✔️ The Seed Oil Scout app and finding real food when you eat out

✔️ Why Gen Z is "fed up" and demanding better food quality

✔️ How millennials became the guinea pig generation for ultra-processed food

✔️ Why convenience culture and fast food on every corner keep Gen Z stuck

✔️ The "cheat day" mindset and why it's keeping people sick

✔️ How to date and find like-minded partners outside the club scene

✔️ The rise of Botox, fillers, and plastic surgery in girls as young as 18

✔️ Practical first steps for parents and teens transitioning to real food

🧠 More About This Episode:

Bishaka Chowdhury is a Gen Z health advocate and content creator who shares nutrition and ancestral eating content with her growing community on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook under the handle @foodlicious444. Born in Bangladesh and raised in the U.S., Bishaka studied health sciences in college and quickly realized how little emphasis is placed on real nutrition in mainstream education. After a vegan diet left her depleted and underweight, she returned to nutrient-dense, whole-food eating and now uses her platform to help others — especially her peers — reclaim their health through real food.

This episode is for any parent raising Gen Z or Gen Alpha kids, anyone curious about how the youngest generation is reshaping food culture, and anyone who needs a reminder that whole food living doesn't require a degree — just the willingness to start. It's honest, hopeful, and a little bit feisty.

📚 Resources & Links Mentioned:

📍 Follow Bishaka – @foodlicious444 on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube & Facebook

📍 Seed Oil Scout app – for finding restaurants that don't cook with seed oils

📍 Earthley – https://www.earthley.com (code: ancestral10 for 10% off)

📍 Join our Patreon Community – https://patreon.com/modernancestralmamas

✨ Support the Show!

👍 Like & Subscribe for more ancestral motherhood conversations

⭐ Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

💬 Comment below: What's one ancestral food tradition from your family or culture that you want to bring back?

#genzhealth #RealFood #AncestralLiving #WholeFood #AntiProcessedFood #MotherhoodWellness #ModernAncestralMamas #SeedOilFree #GuineaPigGeneration #NutrientDense

📲 Stay Connected:

Patreon Community | https://www.patreon.com/c/ModernAncestralMamas

@fornutrientssake | https://www.instagram.com/fornutrientssake/

@nourishthelittles | https://www.instagram.com/nourishthelittles/

@modernancestralmamas | https://www.instagram.com/modernancestralmamas/

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ModernAncestralMamas 

🌿 Earthley creates truly natural, non-toxic herbal remedies made with simple, real ingredients you can trust. Use code ancestral10 for 10% off → https://www.earthley.com

The generation raised on ultra-processed food is starting to fight back. In this episode, Corey and Christine welcome Penelope, a Gen Z health advocate and co-founder of both the MAHA Girls account and the Step It Ups natural weight loss program, for the second installment of their series: MAHA Girls Gen Z and How One Generation Is Changing the Future of Food. From weighing 320 lbs at 15 and hiding pizza boxes from her health-conscious mom to losing 160 lbs naturally without Ozempic, surgery, or starvation, Penelope's story is a raw look at what ultra-processed food addiction really does to a teenager's body, mind, and family.

Together, they unpack how doctors and therapists told a 320 lb teenager she was "totally fine and healthy," why her therapy sessions served Swedish Fish and gummy bears to kids with anxiety and depression, and what it actually took to break free. Penelope gets honest about stealing money for DoorDash binges, the friends who enabled her eating, and the moment during lockdown when she looked in the mirror and didn't recognize herself. She also shares the simple but powerful approach that changed everything: cut the sugar and flour, make your favorite junk food at home with real ingredients, and move your body every day.

✨ Topics Covered in This Episode:

✔️ Penelope's journey from 320 lbs and pre-diabetic at 15 to losing 160 lbs naturally

✔️ How ultra-processed food addiction mirrors drug and alcohol addiction

✔️ Why her doctors, therapists, and friends all told her she was healthy at 320 lbs

✔️ The role body positivity culture played in keeping her stuck

✔️ How therapy sessions fed junk food to kids with anxiety and depression

✔️ The hidden dynamics of friends enabling food addiction

✔️ What withdrawal from sugar and flour actually looks like

✔️ How her PCOS, pre-diabetes, and depression disappeared with whole foods

✔️ Why moms speaking negatively about their own bodies deeply impacts daughters

✔️ The Ozempic Chronicles: concerns about GLP-1s being given to children

✔️ Practical advice for college students eating in campus cafeterias

✔️ How to teach kids to read ingredient labels and cook with what they have

✔️ The founding of MAHA Girls and what gives her hope for Gen Z

🧠 More About This Episode: Penelope is a Gen Z health advocate who lost 160 lbs naturally after years of ultra-processed food addiction. Born in Switzerland and raised in California, she went from being unable to walk up stairs at 15 to becoming a passionate voice for whole food living and natural weight loss. Alongside her mother Helen, a nutritional psychology expert, Penelope co-founded the Step It Ups program, helping women lose weight naturally and titrate off GLP-1 medications. She is also a co-founder of the MAHA Girls account alongside Grace and Lexi Noel, where they empower young women to ditch processed food and reclaim their health. Penelope has testified before the Arizona legislature to ban ultra-processed foods from public school lunches.

This episode is for any mom navigating a child's relationship with food, any parent wondering what the body positivity movement is really teaching their daughter, and anyone who needs to hear that dramatic health transformation is possible without drugs or deprivation. It's deeply personal, brutally honest, and full of hope.

📚 Resources & Links Mentioned:

📍 Follow Penelope & Step It Ups – @stepitups on Instagram, TikTok & YouTube

📍 Follow MAHA Girls – @mahagirls on Instagram & TikTok

📍 Book – Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon Morell

📍 Upcoming Series – The Ozempic Chronicles on the Step It Up Podcast

📍 Earthley – https://www.earthley.com (code: ancestral10 for 10% off)

📍 Join our Patreon Community – https://patreon.com/modernancestralmamas

✨ Support the Show!

👍 Like & Subscribe for more ancestral motherhood conversations

⭐ Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

💬 Comment below: Have you or your kids ever experienced what it feels like to cut out processed food? What changed?

#genzhealth #MahaGirls #RealFood #AncestralLiving #WholeFood #AntiProcessedFood #MotherhoodWellness #ModernAncestralMamas #NaturalWeightLoss #NoOzempic #ProcessedFoodAddiction #StepItUps

📲 Stay Connected:

Patreon Community | https://www.patreon.com/c/ModernAncestralMamas

@fornutrientssake | https://www.instagram.com/fornutrientssake/

@nourishthelittles | https://www.instagram.com/nourishthelittles/

@modernancestralmamas | https://www.instagram.com/modernancestralmamas/

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ModernAncestralMamas

🌿 Earthley creates truly natural, non-toxic herbal remedies made with simple, real ingredients you can trust. Use code ancestral10 for 10% off → https://www.earthley.com

The generation raised on ultra-processed food is starting to fight back. In this episode, Corey and Christine welcome Lexi Noel, a 19-year-old Gen Z health advocate, baker, and co-founder of the MAHA Girls account, for the first installment of their new series: MAHA Girls Gen Z and How One Generation Is Changing the Future of Food. From being diagnosed with anorexia at 13 to healing through real, whole foods, Lexi's story challenges everything we've been told about what "healthy" looks like for young people.

Together, they explore what Gen Z actually grew up eating, why protein greenwashing is the new fat-free era, and how a generation glued to social media is both the problem and the solution when it comes to nutrition education. Lexi gets honest about navigating social events with her own food, the accusations that promoting real food "creates eating disorders," and what it's actually like to be the only one in your friend group who cares about ingredients.

✨ Topics Covered in This Episode:

✔️ Lexi's journey from anorexia to healing through real food

✔️ Why eating disorder clinics may be getting recovery wrong

✔️ What Gen Z actually grew up eating vs. what millennials ate

✔️ The protein greenwashing trend and why labels like "organic" aren't enough

✔️ How to navigate social situations when you eat differently

✔️ Practical swaps for going from standard American to real food

✔️ Budget-friendly tips including Dollar Tree real food finds

✔️ How teens living at home can talk to parents about healthier eating

✔️ Advice for college students in dorms with no kitchen

✔️ Why peer-to-peer health advocacy matters for Gen Z

✔️ The MAHA movement and what gives Lexi hope for the future

🧠 More About This Episode:

Lexi Noel is a Gen Z health advocate and the founder of Divine Eats, a paleo and keto bakery rooted in real, single-ingredient foods. After being diagnosed with anorexia at 13 and healing through whole food nutrition, Lexi began sharing grocery store swap videos and ingredient education on social media, building a following across Instagram and TikTok. She is also a co-founder of the MAHA Girls account alongside Grace and Penelope, where they empower young women to reclaim their health through real food and non-toxic living. Lexi and the MAHA Girls were recently featured on CNN.

This episode is for any parent raising kids in an ultra-processed world, any Gen Zer trying to eat better on a budget, and anyone who wants to understand what's actually shifting in the youngest generation's relationship with food. It's honest, practical, and full of hope.

📚 Resources & Links Mentioned:

📍 Follow Lexi – https://www.instagram.com/lexinoelv

📍 Book – Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon Morell

📍 Book – Deep Nutrition by Catherine Shanahan

📍 Book – Eat Like a Human by Dr. Bill Schindler

📍 Book – Good Energy by Casey Means

📍 Earthly – https://www.earthly.com  (code: ancestral10 for 10% off)

📍 Join our Patreon Community – https://patreon.com/modernancestralmamas

✨ Support the Show!

👍 Like & Subscribe for more ancestral motherhood conversations

⭐ Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

💬 Comment below: What's one food swap you've made that changed everything?

#genzhealth #MahaGirls #RealFood #AncestralLiving #WholeFood #AntiProcessedFood #MotherhoodWellness #ModernAncestralMamas

📲 Stay Connected:

Patreon Community | https://www.patreon.com/c/ModernAncestralMamas

@fornutrientssake | https://www.instagram.com/fornutrientssake/

@nourishthelittles | https://www.instagram.com/nourishthelittles/

@modernancestralmamas | https://www.instagram.com/modernancestralmamas/

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ModernAncestralMamas 

The way we drink is shaping how we feel… more than we realize.

In this episode, Corey and Christine sit down with Blair Horton, creator of Holistic Rendezvous and author of Everyday Elixirs, to explore the growing shift away from alcohol and what’s replacing it. From college party culture to intentional, ingredient-driven drinks, this conversation challenges the assumption that alcohol is the only way to relax, celebrate, or connect.

Blair shares her journey from studying nutrition science to creating herbal mocktails and “elixirs” rooted in real food and seasonal ingredients. Together, they unpack why so many modern drinks are overloaded with sugar, what alcohol actually provides (and what it doesn’t), and how simple ingredients like herbs, citrus, and tea can create depth, ritual, and satisfaction without the crash.

✨ Topics Covered in This Episode:

🧠 More About This Episode:

This episode reframes the role of alcohol entirely. Instead of asking what to remove, it focuses on what to replace it with. For anyone feeling burnt out, overstimulated, or simply wanting something better, this conversation offers a more grounded, intentional approach to how we drink.

📚 Resources & Links Mentioned:

✨ Support the Show!

📲 Stay Connected:

What most moms are eating after birth is actually making recovery harder.

In this episode, Corey and Christine sit down with postpartum chef Alana Speed to unpack one of the most overlooked pieces of postpartum recovery: nourishment. From surviving on snacks and skipping meals to the pressure to “bounce back,” this conversation challenges the modern approach to postpartum and reveals why so many moms feel depleted, exhausted, and unsupported.

Alana shares her experience working directly with postpartum women and explains why eating enough, especially in those first 40 days, can make or break recovery. Together, they explore the role of warm, nutrient-dense foods, the impact of stress on milk supply and healing, and why the cultural loss of postpartum care is leaving women to struggle through one of the most demanding seasons of life.

✨ Topics Covered in This Episode:

✔️ Why most moms are under-eating postpartum

✔️ The connection between calories, milk supply, and recovery

✔️ Why stress may be more harmful than specific foods

✔️ The problem with cutting out foods like dairy or gluten too soon

✔️ What traditional cultures get right about the first 40 days

✔️ The role of warm, easy-to-digest meals in healing

✔️ Why “bouncing back” can do more harm than good

✔️ Simple ways to prepare meals before baby arrives

✔️ How to build community support during postpartum

✔️ What an ideal postpartum experience could actually look like

🧠 More About This Episode:

Alana Speed is a postpartum chef based in the DFW area who specializes in preparing nutrient-dense, supportive meals for mothers during the first weeks after birth. With a background in health coaching and a deep focus on women’s health, her work is centered on helping moms recover physically, emotionally, and nutritionally during one of the most critical windows of their lives.

This episode reframes postpartum entirely. Instead of something to “get through,” it becomes a season that requires intentional care, nourishment, and support. For moms who feel depleted, overwhelmed, or unsure how to properly recover, this conversation offers both clarity and practical direction.

📚 Resources & Links Mentioned:

📍 Wellness with Alana – https://wellnesswithalana.com/

📍 Follow Alana on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/wellnesswithalana_

📍 Join our Patreon Community – https://patreon.com/modernancestralmamas

✨ Support the Show!

👍 Like & Subscribe for more ancestral motherhood conversations

⭐ Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

💬 Comment below: Did you feel nourished or depleted postpartum?

#PostpartumRecovery #NewMomLife #RealFood #AncestralLiving #BreastfeedingSupport #FourthTrimester #MotherhoodUnfiltered #ModernAncestralMamas

📲 Stay Connected:

Patreon Community | https://www.patreon.com/c/ModernAncestralMamas

@fornutrientssake | https://www.instagram.com/fornutrientssake/

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@modernancestralmamas | https://www.instagram.com/modernancestralmamas/

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What if your exhaustion isn’t just part of motherhood… but a sign your body is asking for help?

In this episode, Corey and Christine sit down with Kristen Files, adrenal expert and founder of Forest Creek Wellness, to unpack what’s really behind the constant fatigue so many moms are experiencing. From “mom burnout” to brain fog, low motivation, and that feeling of being only half yourself, this conversation challenges the idea that exhaustion is just something you have to push through.

Kristen shares her own story of severe burnout and recovery, and explains how what we often label as emotional or mental overwhelm may actually be rooted in physical imbalances, especially within the body’s stress response system. Together, they explore how modern life, blood sugar swings, lack of rest, and constant low-level stress are quietly draining women’s energy, and what can actually be done to rebuild it.

✨ Topics Covered in This Episode:

✔️ The difference between “normal tired” and true burnout

✔️ What adrenal dysfunction (HPA axis dysregulation) actually is

✔️ Why you might feel like a “half version” of yourself

✔️ The connection between blood sugar, cortisol, and energy crashes

✔️ How burnout is often misdiagnosed as depression or anxiety

✔️ Why coffee, sugar, and quick fixes can make things worse

✔️ The role of protein, minerals, and whole foods in recovery

✔️ Why walking and nervous system regulation matter more than intense workouts

✔️ The hidden impact of isolation and lack of community on moms

✔️ Why some restrictive diets may harm women long-term

🧠 More About This Episode:

Kristen Files is a nutritional therapy practitioner and adrenal health specialist who helps women uncover the root causes of fatigue, hormone imbalance, and burnout. After experiencing severe exhaustion during her own years of motherhood, she dedicated her work to helping others restore their energy through targeted nutrition, lifestyle changes, and functional testing. Through her practice, Forest Creek Wellness, she works with women to rebuild resilience and move from survival mode back to true vitality.

This episode reframes burnout entirely. Instead of something to push through or “manage,” it may be a signal from the body that something deeper needs attention. For moms who feel constantly exhausted, overwhelmed, or unlike themselves, this conversation offers both clarity and a path forward.

📚 Resources & Links Mentioned:

📍 Forest Creek Wellness – https://www.forestcreekwellness.com/

📍 Follow Kristen on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/forestcreekwellness/

📍 Join our Patreon Community -- https://patreon.com/modernancestralmamas

✨ Support the Show!

👍 Like & Subscribe for more ancestral motherhood conversations

⭐ Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

💬 Comment below: Do you feel “normally tired” or something deeper?

#MomBurnout #AdrenalHealth #HormoneHealth #AncestralLiving #RealFood #ModernMotherhood #NervousSystem #HolisticHealth #ModernAncestralMamas

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YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ModernAncestralMamas 

What if everything you’ve been told about pork being “unclean” is missing the bigger picture?

In this episode, Corey and Christine sit down with Charles Mayfield of Farrow Skincare to unpack one of the most misunderstood foods in the modern health space. From viral claims about pork being toxic to long-standing religious and cultural beliefs, this conversation digs into where those ideas came from and whether they actually hold up. Charles brings a rare perspective as someone who has raised pigs, studied their history, and built a business around their benefits, both nutritionally and even for skin health.

Together, they explore what makes pork truly nourishing, what went wrong in the modern food system, and how to think more clearly about the meat you’re feeding your family.

✨ Topics Covered in This Episode:

✔️ Is pork actually bad for you, or just poorly raised today?

✔️ The real difference between pasture-raised pork and grocery store pork

✔️ Why pigs have been a foundational food source throughout human history

✔️ The truth about parasites, toxins, and “dirty meat” claims

✔️ How modern farming practices changed the quality of pork

✔️ Why our ancestors relied heavily on pork for survival and nourishment

✔️ Proper ways to prepare pork, from curing to cooking

✔️ The surprising role pigs have played in medicine, exploration, and civilization

✔️ Breaking down labels like “organic,” “humanely raised,” and “vegetarian-fed”

🧠 More About This Episode:

Charles Mayfield is a father, bestselling author, entrepreneur, and risk management strategist. He is the founder of Farrow Skincare, an animal fat-based skincare brand that launched following his unique experience as a regenerative farmer and health enthusiast. Through his work, Charles has become a strong voice in the movement to restore traditional food systems, challenge modern health narratives, and reconnect families with truly nourishing sources of food. This episode challenges common assumptions and invites listeners to rethink what “clean” food really means, and how much of what we believe is shaped by modern systems rather than ancestral wisdom.

📚 Resources & Links Mentioned:

📍 Farrow Skincare – https://farrow.shop/

📍 Follow Farrow on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/farrowskin/

📍 Join our Patreon Community -- https://patreon.com/modernancestralmamas

✨ Support the Show!

👍 Like & Subscribe for more ancestral motherhood conversations

⭐ Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

💬 Comment below: Have you avoided pork, and why?

#PorkMyths #AncestralEating #RealFood #RegenerativeFarming #FoodTruth #ModernAncestralMamas #HealthyLiving #PastureRaised

📲 Stay Connected:

Patreon Community | https://www.patreon.com/c/ModernAncestralMamas

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