Year-round competition, zero off-seasons, and non-stop rehearsals create an unsustainable and judgemental environment where dancers operate at peak volume physically and mentally. Physical therapist Claire Spivak joins the discussion to review why skill instruction and aesthetic ideals, without intentional physical and mental preparation, breaks young athletes. Claire shares how taking dancers out of the studio and into a strength environment helps them ask questions, listen to physical signals, and build resilience.

Burnout isn’t just feeling tired after a long week—it’s staying stuck in a state of chronic stress without ever giving your nervous system permission to complete the cycle.

In this episode, Auria and Bethany sit down with licensed marriage and family therapist, yoga teacher, and recovery coach Kaylin Zabienski to unpack why modern hustle culture is keeping us stuck in fight-or-flight mode. We dive into why positive affirmations won't magically heal your stress, simple vagus nerve hacks you can do on your bathroom floor, the reality of menstrual cycle phases vs. wellness marketing trends, and how to set unapologetic workplace boundaries.

Tune in to learn how to complete the stress loop, prioritize rest without guilt, and protect your energy in a world built for burnout.

Are you living in a constant state of heightened stress, waiting for a break that never comes? In this deep-dive conversation, Auria Zahed, Bethany Busch, and special guest Kaylin Zabienski (LMFT, RYT, Sleep, Stress & Recovery Coach) break down the science of burnout, nervous system regulation, and the systemic trap of modern productivity culture.

From the difference between zebras escaping lions and humans reading late-night emails, to practical somatic habits for vagus nerve regulation, this episode is your ultimate guide to closing the stress loop and taking your time back.

• 00:10:12 – Defining Burnout: Chronic stress, compassion fatigue, and why humans get stuck in stress loops while animals shake it off.

• 00:12:54 – Closing the Stress Loop: Why you can't "think" or affirm your way into safety—and why somatic action is required.

• 00:15:06 – Nervous System Regulation: Daily movement, proper nutrition, and finding space for stillness.

• 00:21:03 – Hormones & Menstrual Cycles: The four cycle phases (menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, luteal) and calling out fitness industry cycle-syncing traps.

• 00:26:43 – The Dark Side of Accessibility: Setting hard digital boundaries, blocking work apps after hours, and overcoming the fear of disconnecting.

• 00:32:17 – Managing Stress as Parents & Pet Parents: Micro-transitions, intentional pauses, and communicating needs.

• 00:44:53 – Vagus Nerve 101: Physical touch, dog cuddles, humming, chanting, gargling, and tapping to activate rest-and-digest.

• 00:48:53 – Restorative Yoga: The power of deep rest, using props for 1% effort, and opening up the body from posture slumps.

• 00:52:59 – Systemic Burnout & Workplace Realities: Dismantling corporate gaslighting, using your PTO, and redefining self-care as self-preservation.

You can’t just tell yourself you are safe—your body has to feel safe. Try incorporating these simple practices into your daily routine to signal rest and digest:

• Humming, Chanting, or Singing: Vibrates the vagus nerve where it connects through the throat.

• Water Gargling: A simple morning or shower habit that activates throat muscles tied to the vagus nerve.

• Restorative Touch & Cuddling: Hugging a loved one, cuddling pets, or getting physical touch helps soothe the nervous system.

• Tapping (EFT): Rhythmic tapping on key points of the upper body to release physical tension.

• Digital Hard Stops: Block work notifications, emails, and voice apps after work hours (e.g., 6:00 PM to 8:00 AM) to let your brain off the hook.

• Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski & Amelia Nagoski

• Why Don't Zebras Get Ulcers? by Robert M. Sapolsky

• Guest: Kaylin Zabienski, LMFT, RYT, Sleep, Stress & Recovery Coach

• Hosts: Auria Zahed & Bethany Busch

Are you failing your diet, or is the blueprint you are using broken? The fitness and diet industries profit when women stay unwell and confused by misinformation.

Welcome back to UpLift Women’s Wellness, the podcast that dismantles the toxic fitness industry and exposes the systemic gaps in women's healthcare. Hosted by Bethany Busch, MS, ACSM-EP, CSCS (Master's-level Exercise Physiologist), and Auria Zahed, LMFT (Licensed Therapist), we bridge the gap between clinical biomechanics and mental health therapy to provide an uncompromised, biopsychosocial standard of care.

In this episode, we sit down with Registered Dietitian Loshi Vue to expose the reality of toxic diet culture, the dangers of unqualified "nutrition influencers," and the mental health toll of trying to eat perfectly in a broken economy. Loshi shares his own journey as a Hmong-American athlete battling body image issues, and how he now helps clients rebuild trust with their bodies.

Step behind the velvet rope as we dive deep into:

✔️ Silencing "Food Noise": Understanding why restrictive diets trick your brain into obsessing over food, and how to use "practical hunger" to regulate your nervous system.

✔️ The Privilege of "Eating Clean": Exposing the reality of food deserts, why the "organic" label is often a marketing trap, and how to nourish your body when fast food is the cheapest option.

✔️ Immigrant Culture & Mental Health: Why survival mode in immigrant families often prevents open conversations about emotional wellness, and how to start setting healthy boundaries.

✔️ Credentialed Care vs. Clickbait: The danger of using ChatGPT or Dr. Google to diagnose yourself, and why relying on unqualified influencers can cause permanent metabolic damage.

Stop guessing, start healing, and keep uplifting each other.

🧬 Uncover Your Force Leaks ($399 Assessment): https://head2toestrength.as.me/?appointmentType=93439784

💻 Map Your Safe Path ($97 Triage Call): https://head2toestrength.as.me/?appointmentType=93883185

🌟 Work with Loshi Vue, RD: www.grainbygrain.co

🌐 Website: www.head2toestrength.com

📱 Follow the Movement: @head2toestrength

Show Notes

Key Discussion Points:

• The Journey to Nutritional Healing: Loshi shares his background as a Hmong-American and a former competitive soccer player. He opens up about his personal struggles with body image and the realization that striving for a specific physique was costing him his mental health.
• Defining "Food Noise" & Non-Scale Victories: The group breaks down how true health isn't measured on a scale. Loshi emphasizes the importance of non-scale victories, such as having more energy, better mental clarity, and quieting the constant, intrusive "food noise".
• The Privilege of Wellness: Bethany and Loshi tackle the systemic issues of food accessibility. They expose the truth that eating perfectly "clean" or "organic" is a massive financial privilege, and remove the shame associated with doing the best you can with resources like frozen foods and food shelves.
• Mental Health in Immigrant Communities: Auria and Loshi discuss the complexities of addressing mental health within immigrant families, where the primary focus has historically been on physical survival, making emotional wellness conversations challenging.
• Experts vs. Influencers: The hosts discuss the massive difference between a board-certified Registered Dietitian and an uncredentialed internet influencer. They emphasize the dangers of self-diagnosing via Google or AI (like ChatGPT), urging listeners to seek out practitioners who treat the whole human.

Guest Info: Loshi Vue is a Registered Dietitian running a virtual private practice. You can book a consultation and learn more about his approach to healing your relationship with food at www.grainbygrain.co

Why do 44% of female student-athletes report feeling constantly overwhelmed compared to only 17% of men? It’s not a lack of resilience; it’s the "workplace tax" of doing the same job with half the resources and double the scrutiny. Bethany Busch delivers a systemic deconstruction of the mental, medical, and economic barriers currently holding back the greatest athletes.

Ready to rebuild strength without shame? Book your Strength & Support Audit here: ⁠www.head2toestrength.com

Burnout does not always look obvious. Sometimes it looks like numbness, autopilot, irritability, disconnection, and feeling like you are no longer yourself. In this episode, Bethany, Auria, and Karen Canham break down the subtle signs of survival mode and why reconnecting with your body may be the first step toward real change.

Ready to rebuild strength without shame? Book your Strength & Support Audit here: www.head2toestrength.com

Tired of seeing the same limited representation? So are we. We discuss the demoralizing effect of not being seen and how media, often controlled by an exclusive few, fails to represent the true diversity of our world. Guest Antoine Elhashem shares Inspired Media's commitment to authentic representation for all genders, abilities, and ethnicities, and how we can all push for "positive inclusion" to create a more supportive community.

Ready to rebuild strength without shame? Book your Strength & Support Audit here: ⁠www.head2toestrength.com

Self‑love isn’t a mood or a mantra — it’s self‑respect. In this episode of UpLift Women’s Wellness, LMFT Ilona Varo joins Bethany and Auria for a grounded conversation about what it actually looks like to put your needs back at the center of your life.

Together, they explore the difference between genuine self‑care and avoidance, how resentment builds when women chronically deprioritize themselves, and why self‑love is less about perfection and more about flexibility, honesty, and the willingness to meet yourself with curiosity instead of criticism. Ilona shares how subconscious identities — the quiet labels we inherit or repeat to ourselves — shape behavior, and how shifting those identities can open the door to more supportive choices.

Bethany and Auria also talk about the role of values, identity, and daily habits in building a life that feels aligned, not performative. If you’re navigating burnout, identity shifts, or pressure‑heavy wellness spaces, this conversation pairs naturally with the way we redefine strength inside Head 2 Toe Strength — where real health is measured by energy, capacity, and lived experience, not aesthetics.

If you’re rebuilding trust in your body or learning how to care for yourself without guilt, our inclusive strength coaching supports real bodies in real life at Strength Coaching. For women exploring the emotional patterns behind self‑talk, boundaries, or identity, Auria’s relational and emotional work offers grounded support at Therapy with Auria. And if you want help integrating these ideas into your daily life, our values‑aligned performance coaching provides clarity and direction at Performance Coaching.

This episode meets you exactly where you are — and invites you to treat yourself with the same respect, care, and compassion you extend to everyone else.

Ready to rebuild strength without shame? Book your Strength & Support Audit here: ⁠www.head2toestrength.com

Dating in 2025 feels like a maze — apps, mixed signals, ghosting, and the pressure to “just know” who’s right for you. In this episode of UpLift Women’s Wellness, LMFT and relationship specialist Emily Kirkbride joins Bethany and Auria for a grounded, honest conversation about what it actually takes to build connection that feels steady, safe, and sustainable.

Together, they explore how attachment styles show up in modern dating, why early interactions matter more than the apps want you to believe, and how to recognize the difference between genuine compatibility and the kind of chemistry that burns out fast. Emily shares practical insights on emotional intimacy, validation, and repair — the real foundations of long‑term partnership — while Bethany and Auria talk about the realities women face when navigating dating culture, from premature intimacy to the exhaustion of trying to read between the lines.

If you’re rebuilding trust in yourself after past relationships, or learning how to date in a way that honors your energy and capacity, our values‑aligned performance coaching at Head 2 Toe Strength supports clarity, confidence, and decision‑making that actually fits your life. And if you’re exploring the emotional patterns that shape how you connect, communicate, or choose partners, Auria’s relational and emotional work at Therapy with Auria offers grounded support without judgment. For women navigating the physical side of stress, fatigue, or re‑entry into movement while dating or in partnership, our inclusive strength coaching meets you where you are at Strength Coaching.

This episode is for anyone trying to date with intention, build relationships that nourish instead of deplete, and choose connection that feels steady, reciprocal, and real.

What does real health look like when you strip away aesthetics, pressure, and the noise of diet culture? In this episode of UpLift Women’s Wellness, Bethany and Auria answer your most common questions about digestion, metabolism, energy, and the signals your body sends when something isn’t working.

Bethany breaks down why bloating happens, how digestion actually starts long before food reaches your stomach, and why so many women blame themselves for symptoms that are rooted in physiology — not failure. They also talk about the myth of “slowed metabolism,” the role muscle loss plays as women age, and why short, consistent movement often matters more than intensity.

The conversation moves into intermittent fasting, quick‑fix trends, and the way diet culture convinces women to distrust their own bodies. Bethany and Auria explore how misinformation spreads online, why so many women feel blamed for their symptoms, and what it means to advocate for yourself in medical and fitness spaces that often overlook women’s lived realities.

If you’re navigating fatigue, low energy, or the physical effects of stress, our evidence‑based, inclusive strength coaching at Head 2 Toe Strength supports real bodies in real life without pressure or perfection. For women wanting clarity, direction, and values‑aligned decision‑making, our performance coaching model offers grounded support at Performance Coaching. And if you’re exploring the emotional patterns that shape self‑advocacy, self‑trust, or body image, Auria’s relational and emotional work at Therapy with Auria provides space to understand those experiences without judgment.

This episode is a reminder that health isn’t a look — it’s how you feel in your body, your energy, your sleep, and your daily life.  

You deserve care that adapts to you, not the other way around.

Ready to rebuild strength without shame? Book your Strength & Support Audit here: ⁠www.head2toestrength.com

Pregnancy and postpartum are often described as magical — but for many women, the reality is far more complex. In this episode of UpLift Women’s Wellness, perinatal mental health expert Alexa Levine, LMFT, joins Bethany and Auria for an honest conversation about preparing for parenthood, navigating the emotional and physical demands of pregnancy, and finding support in a system that often overlooks women’s needs.

Alexa shares insights from her work with expecting and new parents, including how early conversations about roles, expectations, and family dynamics can shape the transition into parenthood. Together, they explore the wide range of pregnancy experiences — from joyful to deeply challenging — and why women deserve validation instead of pressure to “stay positive” or “bounce back.”

The conversation also addresses the unrealistic standards placed on pregnant and postpartum bodies, the impact of medical mistreatment during childbirth, and the importance of having a support team that respects your autonomy. Bethany and Auria discuss how societal expectations, financial strain, and lack of community care make postpartum anxiety and depression far more common than most women are told.

If you’re navigating the physical side of pregnancy or postpartum — fatigue, capacity changes, or re‑entry into movement — our evidence‑based, inclusive strength coaching at Head 2 Toe Strength supports real bodies in real life without pressure or performance. For women exploring the emotional patterns that surface during pregnancy, postpartum, or parenthood, Auria’s relational and emotional work at Therapy with Auria offers grounded support without judgment. And if you’re seeking clarity, confidence, or values‑aligned decision‑making during this season of life, our performance coaching approach provides a steady path forward at Performance Coaching.

This episode is a reminder that pregnancy and postpartum don’t require perfection — they require support, honesty, and space for the full truth of your experience.