The Daily Ascent

In today's episode, I'm talking about the practice of noticing where your energy goes, and what happens when you choose to put it where it truly matters. We'll explore how easy it is to lose sight of our priorities, what it really means to take life both more seriously and less seriously, and how a few simple shifts can bring you back to center. Question to carry into your day: Where's your focus...

In today's episode, I'm talking about those moments when you really don't want to do the thing — and what can happen when you do it anyway. We'll explore how commitment can carry you through resistance, what my Pocket Sage Pema Chödrön has to say about staying open when it's hard, and the kind of magic that shows up on the other side of "I don't feel like it." Question to carry into your day: Wher...

In today's episode, I'm talking about the fear that keeps so many of us stuck — the fear of getting it wrong. We'll explore how perfectionism can disguise itself as protection, and how real freedom begins when we let ourselves start messy. I'll share how The Daily Ascent almost didn't happen because I was waiting for everything to be perfect… and what finally made me begin. Question to carry into...

Ever catch yourself sure someone else dropped the ball… only to realize it might have been you? Yeah, me too. In this episode, I share a story about a time I completely checked out, blamed someone else, and got smacked with one of those spiritual two-by-fours that remind you what real freedom feels like. Spoiler: it isn't in being right. Question to carry into your day: Where might taking responsi...

In today's episode, I'm sharing how one tiny dinner-table moment with my 15-year-old goddaughter catapulted me straight out of adulthood and right back into my teenage self — and how a Celtic prayer helped me find my way back to love. Whether it's parenting, friendship, or just life being life, this one's about the messy magic of being human — and the peace that comes when we stop needing to be ri...

Welcome to The Daily Ascent — a quick, meaningful moment in your day to pause, breathe, and come back to yourself. I'm Molly Carmel: therapist, coach, business owner, sister, godmother, dog mom, and a woman who's learned the hard way that real healing doesn't come from chasing fixes — it comes from finding truth. Each weekday, I'll bring you real stories, simple insights, and honest reflections fr...

Tune in to this episode as Molly shares why she is taking a break from the show. We all know that from time to time, it's important to do an inventory of our lives to see what is working and what is not. Creating content for different social media platforms can be very rewarding, but it's also a lot of work. When the content comes from a place of obligation instead of passion, you know it's time t...

In this episode of What You're Craving, Molly connects with Rachel, a member of the Breaking Up with Sugar community. Rachel shares her journey and her current struggles, dealing with imposter syndrome and the fear of detaching even a little bit from her eating habits. She explains that even the thought of being a little more flexible with her diet makes her experience fear and shame. Rachel share...

In this solo episode of What You're Craving, Molly gives her opinion on a topic that has been getting some attention lately: injectables for weight loss. First and foremost, we need to acknowledge that it is a medical intervention, and it needs to be treated that way. And guess what? There is nothing wrong with asking for medical support to lose weight. On the other hand, it won't help if the pers...

In this episode of What You're Craving, Molly connects with Jean Ferrari, a member of the Breaking Up with Sugar community. Jean details what it was like to join the group, what led her to make this decision, and how she could identify that her eating habits were part of something related to an eating disorder. Jean wasn't sure if she had an eating disorder or even if the program was a good fit fo...

In this episode of What You're Craving, Molly connects again with clinical psychologist Dr. Alisa Kriegel. Today, they discuss the importance of self-care in regulating the nervous system and how to identify the tools to get into a calmer state. There is sometimes a misconception that self-care is an act of selfishness but in reality, is an act of self-love. Being present and enjoying the moment i...

If you are in the process of healing your relationship with food, you might have periodic thoughts that say: "Why is this taking so long?" or "Why don't I feel better yet?" These are all valid questions, but there is this misconception that we won't feel good until we reach the finish line. There is no finish line. Healing your relationship with food - or whatever you are working on - is a journey...

Join this episode of What You're Craving as Molly chats with Michelle Shapiro about how the nervous system affects our relationship with food. Michelle Shapiro is a Registered Dietitian with an integrative and functional approach, and today she explains more about this concept and why it is so important to understand this mind-body connection. Michelle shares that when someone comes to her with sy...

In this episode of What You're Craving, Molly welcomes back Felicia from the Breaking Up with Sugar Community. She shares her current struggles in healing her relationship with food at the same time she is being treated for cancer. According to Felicia, the community has been helpful, with people caring for and checking up on her. Felicia also shares that on numerous occasions, people would offer...

In this episode of What You're Craving, you will listen to Leanne's story and her journey so far. Molly and Leanne talk a lot about the idea of being honest with the people around us, such as our friends and family who are supportive of our journey. When we are on a mission to quit an addiction - especially food addiction - we might think that sharing our struggles with others will make them leave...

After breaking up with sugar and flour for four months, Sara still needs to accept that the little voice urging her to binge on something will still show up after her meals. After 25 years of having an unhealthy relationship with food, four months of recovery is not that much time if you think about it. Discomfort after eating is more than normal: it is expected. In this episode of What You're Cra...

In this episode of What You're Craving, Molly connects with Lindsey Pearson. Lindsey is a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Teacher (MBSR), a Registered Yoga Teacher, as well as a Certified Workplace Mindfulness Facilitator from Mindful Leader. She has led international workshops and is the author of the Distraction Detox: A Self-Care Workbook. Lindsey talks about the impact that practices like m...

In this episode of What You're Craving, Molly welcomes clinical psychologist Dr. Alisa Kriegel. Dr. Alisa shares her perspective on two relevant topics that have a lot of evidence nowadays: how our childhood wounds impact our relationships and how the nervous system maintains balance in the body. According to Dr. Alisa, in our relationships, we tend to repeat the same patterns we learned during ou...

Join this week's episode as Molly talks about how women can break free from the unrealistic beauty standards imposed by diet culture. Women of all ages suffer every day, trying to achieve unrealistic goals. These goals are not their own; they result from decades and decades of what society thinks is right. During this process, we start to feel guilt, frustration, and a sense of hatred for our own...

Join this episode of What You're Craving as Molly connects with Dr. Mark Horowitz. Dr. Mark is a Clinical Research Fellow in Psychiatry North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), and today he talks about depression, the different symptoms and treatments of this condition, antidepressant withdrawal, and the side effects of discontinuing it too quickly. With a background that very much matches...

To feel shame and fear for whatever reason is not an easy process. Both feelings are not simple feelings to live with, especially when we know what it feels like to live without them.  But what to do when we feel sad, frustrated, and overwhelmed by something that happened to us, leading to feelings like shame and fear? In this episode of What You're Craving Podcast, Molly talks about a personal ma...

Caleb Campbell is a dynamic keynote speaker, coach, and mental health advocate known for his authentic and transformational message on high-capacity leadership, whole-person success, and emotional well-being. In this episode, Caleb shares more about his story, childhood, and how he always had that itch to seek more in life. We all tend to live adulthood as a reflection of our childhood, and Caleb'...

Are you struggling to break free from your addiction to food? Do you turn to food as a coping mechanism during tough times? In this episode of What You're Craving, Molly chats with Felicia, a current member of the Breaking Up with Sugar community and the All In Intensive coaching group. Felicia is a fighter and survivor of trauma who shares her inspiring story of transformation and regaining contr...

Krista Joy Palmer is a health coach and advocate for essential oils who has a unique story of healing herself with the help of plants. Despite suffering from autoimmune symptoms that confined her to bed, hospitals, and wheelchairs for years, Krista was able to heal herself and rediscover her passion for healing others. In this episode of What You're Craving , Krista shares her journey to healing a...

Join us for an inspiring episode as Molly is joined by Elizabeth, a member of Molly's All In group coaching program. Elizabeth shares her journey with weight loss surgery, various diets such as keto and intermittent fasting, and the breakthrough moment when she discovered the All In program created by Molly. Elizabeth initially felt intimidated by the level of commitment the program required, but...