Grace & Grit Podcast

A few weeks ago I did a short little episode surrounding the pretty horrifying statistics on eating disorders and disordered eating in this country and around the world. What prompted me to look at the numbers was an article I came across titled, "Coming Out of the Anorexia Closet 25 Years later". The article, written by a woman named Mia Lockhart, made my heart break a little, AND it also made me...

I am so deeply humbled by the caliber of women who have agreed to be on the Grace & Grit podcast over the past year, and today is certainly no exception. I have been following Stephanie Gaudreau's career since early 2013 and have been cheering her on from afar ever since. I respect her as a business woman, a women's health advocate and as a every day woman who isn't shy about sharing her own perso...

The health and wellness industry is the ONLY profession I have ever known, because, quite frankly, I love it that much. I have been inspired and educated by some incredibly remarkable women over my career (many of whom have been featured as guests on this show) and today I have the privilege of hosting someone who I absolutely would call one of my role models, Krista Scott Dixon . Krista has her P...

Preparing for an upcoming podcast guest, I was horrified by the numbers surrounding eating disorders and disordered eating within the US. Having worked with women for nearly two decades to better their relationship with their body, I knew there was a problem, but the statistics I came across broke my heart. We have a problem with how women perceive their bodies and the crazy things they do in an a...

Clearly, I invite guests to the show who can provide value to this audience on the topic of women's health, I am also very intent on inviting guests who also exemplify what it means to be a woman of Grace & Grit. Today, I could not be more thrilled to be hosting, Doctor of Physical Therapy and movement enthusiast Jen Esquer. Jen treats patients privately in the Los Angeles area but educates people...

I am not sure I can fully express in words how excited I am about today's guest on the show. I have been following Andrea Beaman for years and I truly feel she is a wellness professional that all women should know. I was initially introduced to Andrea through some conversations I was having with other health practitioners in regards to thyroid and adrenal health. And although Andrea does specializ...

My recent conversation with clinical nutritionist Stephanie Dodier is filled with so much goodness! If you love a good transformation story… If you like REAL talk around what it takes to reclaim and sustain health… If you are curious to hear the thoughts of a clinical nutritionist about ketogenic diets… Do not miss this episode of the Grace & Grit podcast! Stephanie has a special talent for breaki...

If you are a woman, do not miss this episode! Julie Wiebe, an LA based physical therapist with over twenty years of clinical experience in both Sports Medicine and Women's Health, is committed to revolutionizing the way women recover from pregnancy and return to high levels of fitness. And… she has pioneered an integrative approach to promote women's health in and through fitness. As we discuss on...

I have one of my favorite people on the show today, Laini Gray. I have known Laini for almost a decade and I appreciate everything about her. Laini has a rare ability to take complicated issues and explain them in simple terms all while keeping things fun (cuz let's face it topics like fat loss and hormonal chemistry can get a bit mind-numbing). She has been in the health/wellness industry for ove...

"Healthy by choice, not by chance." That is the motto of my guest, Dr. Liz Walker, who is featured as a guest on today's episode of the Grace & Grit Podcast. I freaking love that and couldn't agree more. Liz Walker is a chiropractor here in Missoula, MT and she is a health professional who absolutely walks her talk and understands that there are a lot of facets to the health equation. She and her...

I have to admit that I don't follow a ton of female trainers online because I have a beef with the message a lot of trainers and health coaches are selling to women. If you are a regular listener of this show, you are well aware that I loathe quick fix tactics, supplement pushing, radical detoxes and the like. The trainers and coaches I adore are the ones who are preaching slow and steady, sensibl...

It is interesting that we are living at a time when there are more exercise programs and extreme dieting tactics on the market than ever before AND obesity rates and disease are at an all time high. We have made exercise programming and the simple act of eating SO complicated, that many women have a fierce resistance to getting started. But here is the truth…. The things that are going to make you...

Man, I have worked with a ton of clients over the years who want to elevate the state of their health without honoring their body's need for adequate restoration and recovery. And it simply doesn't work…ever. Recovery should NOT be underestimated when it comes to improving the health of your body. If you are expecting more from your body (more energy, more strength, more endurance, more performanc...

There are two things that are absolutely essential to any transformation process (yeah, I know… I talk about them a lot because I believe in them THAT MUCH): 1. Awareness 2. Consistent Action Last week, Mary O'Malley and I had a great conversation on the podcast about what it takes to stay awake in your life, so you can change habits that are not serving you into ones that do. This week's podcast...

The longer I am in the profession of helping women to improve their health, the more I am convinced that improving health boils down to awareness and consistency. Before we can change anything about our health, we must be aware of the things we are doing to either nourish or deplete our health. But honestly we are living in such a frenetic time, most women are so busy, they are reacting to life wi...

I don't know about you, but I grew up clinging to the myth that once a woman turned 40, life would be over (the black balloons at my mother's 40th birthday made quite an impression apparently). And having turned 40 myself a week ago, I have to say my experience has taught me something quite different: Life is really stinking good at 40 . Unfortunately, our media culture cultivates a lot of fear ar...

We are now a full month into 2017 and I am curious how you are doing with your intentions to take better care of yourself this year? I know many women charged into the New Year vowing to themselves that this year would be different; this year they will put their self-care at the top of their to-do list. A few weeks in many of these same women are recognizing that making themselves a priority is no...

Last week on the podcast I told you about the 1 thing you can remove from your diet to radically improve your health and happiness levels. That thing? Refined sugar. This week on the podcast I talk about the 1 thing to ADD to your diet to dramatically improve your overall wellbeing. That thing? More vegetables. If you don't eat many veggies (a lot of people say they do, but they don't) and you are...

This is the time of year people are looking for the quick fixes that can unravel the damage they did over the past few months. And we are being honest about it, people are really looking for the quick fixes that will unravel not just a few months but years (even decades) of neglecting their health. If you know anything about the message and mission of Grace & Grit, you know I can't stand the notio...

A New Year is dawning, which for many women is a popular time to set or recommit to goals. Unfortunately, when it comes to health goals, many women are thinking too small…literally. Far too many health goals are based on aesthetics alone specifically, ones revolving around weight loss, which doesn't create a ton of traction in the motivation department (at least not traction that extends beyond a...

It may sound strange but a common thread I have witnessed (and personally experienced) with women who are trying to reclaim their health, is that they often struggle to allow happiness to enter fully into their life. Women seem to be really good at sabotaging the "feel good" in their life in one of two ways: They are more focused on doing than being; often maintaining schedules that are so busy, t...

Many women have a tremendous amount of resistance around exercising regularly, and I think there are two primary reasons for this: #1: The diet and fitness culture has made exercise VERY difficult to navigate #2: Many women solely exercise as a way to maintain or lose weight. What if you started viewing exercise as a way of respecting your body's nutritional needs rather than as a way to force you...

I am currently in the throws of teaching a new program this year that is really geared towards helping women maintain a high level of self-care during the holidays, and it is really something I should have started years ago. I was compelled to start this program because, every year during the holidays, I see women struggling more than any other time of the year to maintain their health standards....

A lot of women this time of year are starting to think about how they are going to address their health concerns in 2017. Get ready because everywhere you look for the next several weeks, you are going to see ads for diets and exercise programs promising to help you reach your goals in the quickest way possible with the least amount of effort. Wouldn't it be nice if getting healthy was as simple a...

When was the last time you were grateful for the miracle that is your body? Most women I work with are at war with their body, and I think in large part that is a direct result of the way they are talking to themselves about their body. You have heard me say this before: RESPECT BREEDS HEALTH. And when you go out of your way to be grateful for all of the things your body is doing right, you are a...