Tough Cookie Talks

Ashantis Jones is back this week and we're talking all about the relationship between healthism and the rise of fascism. I know, fun right? But as we often discover, it's all different flavors of the same shit sandwich. And if we really wanna be healthy, we need to talk about the hard stuff too! Turns out it's not all just organic hemp seeds and kale chips. Ashantis Jones (she/they) is...

I finally decided to stop rolling my eyes and record an episode about what it takes to get toned arms. Because while I had hoped we were all past this, the amount of questions I've gotten about this over the years, plus the amount of garbage information still being fed to you on the internet made me cave. If you don't need to hear this, I am certain that there is someone in your life who d...

This episode with Toni Rudd blew my mind and filled in all sorts gaps in my understanding of intuitive eating, and I can't wait to share it with you! Turns out that lack of willpower and food restriction might not be the only reasons you can't seem to stop overeating, and Toni is here to shine a light on it today. Toni Rudd is a UK-registered dietitian and binge eating specialist. She work...

This week I have not one but TWO of my clients on the podcast! Miranda and Steph are here to talk about all things fitness trackers. Specifically how we've been using our Apple watches to enhance our experience of our workouts, daily movement, working towards performance goals, recovery, and more. We've been working on these things together in our 1:1 sessions and now we're ready to sh...

I am back from my podcasting hiatus because things in Chicago and across the country are getting pretty bad pretty fast and I wanna run my mouth while I'm still allowed. We are here because when I found myself feeling hopeless a few weeks ago, I got involved with my local Indivisible chapter and it gave me a sense of purpose and community in a world that often feels irreparably fucked. I met I...

⁠⁠ Another shorty episode coming at you today. I'm sharing a topic that comes up a lot for my clients and a concept that I came up with called the "fitness hierarchy of needs". Many of us obsess over small details that don't really matter when it comes to our fitness. On this episode we talk about what you wanna have in place first to build a strong fitness foundation, so that yo...

Forget training for your bikini body. Ali Kreider is here today to talk about training for our old lady bodies and I couldn't be more excited to share this episode! Ali Kreider is a certified personal trainer & group fitness coach, empowering women to develop a self-compassionate approach to movement. She helps clients build strength & resilience that allows them to handle life outside...

Julie Duffy Dillon is here today for an episode that feels very full circle to me. I originally heard her on several other anti-diet podcasts when I was very new to this work, and I am so excited to be able to share her on mine. Her new book, "Find Your Food Voice" just came out, and it's filling such an important void in the intuitive eating space. If you've ever felt like intui...

Emily Decker is here to talk about something that I know has been on a LOT of our minds lately: How do we stay informed and get involved in activism in a way that makes a difference without burning ourselves out? Today we are talking about that and so much more! Emily Decker is a somatic-based, trauma-informed, body-neutral personal trainer with a master’s degree in social work from the University...

Chelsea Clarke is here today! Our conversation was inspired by something she posted in her Instagram stories a few weeks ago that hit a little too close to home for me. The very real struggle that happens when Western medicine isn't helping you but wholistic wellness feels like a scam. Chelsea is here to help us navigate the gray area in between. Chelsea Clarke is a Registered Dietitian Nutrit...

If you haven't already heard of today's guest, it's about time you did! I've been singing Damali Fraiser's praises as one of the wisest and most thorough kettlebell coaches I've had the privilege of learning from. Today she's sharing all that goodness with us! Meet Coach Damali, pronouns she/her. Damali is a compassionate Kettlebell Expert, author, speaker, fitness / nu...

Today I am thrilled to be talking to Dr. Jen Hosler--a genius of a physical therapist and strength coach whose work I am constantly referring my clients to. What she has to share about pain science is absolutely mind blowing. Dr. Jen is a physical therapist and strength coach dedicated to bridging the gap between fitness and rehab. With degrees in exercise science and physical therapy, combined wi...

Today's conversation is with one of the most interesting humans I've ever met: my longtime friend Maria Tate! Our personal history goes way back to when we met working with the same Chicago dance company in 2009. I'll let their professional bio speak for itself! Maria recently returned to the US  after spending two years with the internationally recognized Phare Ponleu Selpak Associati...

If you're anything like me, your nervous system needs some serious help right now, because it's January 2025. (Need I say more?!) Kate Zanoni is here to help us get outside to calm the fuck down. Kate Zanoni is a movement coach for outdoor athletes, specializing in injury reduction, rehabilitation, mobility, and strength training for return to sport. With more than a decade of experience i...

Christina is back with another crossover/collab episode after a long hiatus! I wanted to share a convo that I've been having a lot behind the scenes: what happens when you get bored with consuming all the anti-diet content out there? You just BE. On this episode we talk about: How hard it can be to live your life and truly embody anti-diet culture when you have to perform it on the internet as...

This week Jo Piazza is here, and if you don't know her, you need to!! I discovered her podcast, Under the Influence last year, and was drawn in by the way she exposes social media bullshit in the same way I call out the fitness industry. She introduced me to mind blowing stories about tradwives, the wellness to right wing conspiracy theory pipeline, and all the ways social media makes women feel l...

The season 3 finale is here! On this episode we talk about: A recap of season 3 of this podcast + life lessons I've learned along the way. Where my head's been at and why there's been such an uptick in political content this season. The surrealness and joy of being able to talk to cool people and record the conversations for you all. When we're coming back for season 4 and what you...

I am so thrilled to be able to share this conversation with Tia Levings with you today because if you don't know her and her work, you need to! Tia Levings is the New York Times Bestselling author of A Well-Trained Wife, her memoir of escape from Christian Patriarchy. She writes about the realities of religious trauma and the Trad wife life, decoding the fundamentalist influences in our news a...

This week we are diving deep into the world of eating disorders and recovery, and much like all of the work I do here, Mallary Tenore Tarpley is here to help us embrace the gray area between being sick and fully recovered. She's here to normalize living in the in between place when you're trying to heal, and share some things that you may not have known about eating disorders. This topic is hard t...

I can't seem to let go of the need to talk about the current social and political climate, the rise of fascism and authoritarianism, and how it relates to fitness, wellness, diet culture, and everything I do here. I wanted to approach this topic from a historical lens, so I knew that Jen Borruso was the person I needed to talk to. We've known each other for years professionally, but as a f...

Today's podcast is brought to you by listeners like you! Or at least the conversations I've had with you in response to last weeks episode with Vinny Welsby. Apparently weight loss drugs are a popular topic and you all have a lot of your own thoughts and opinions about them. After dedicating a whole episode to talking about the research behind medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, I'm b...

Vinny Welsby is here today, and I could not think of anyone better to talk to about weight loss drugs with. They have done a really deep dive into research and know these GLP-1 meds inside and out. We all deserve to go into big medical decisions armed with all the information and we're so glad to be able to share what we know with you today! Vinny Welsby (they/them) is a fat activist and diversity...

Erin Lingle is here this week to teach us how to manage our stress better. I don't know about you, but I always laugh at the suggestion of lowering my stress levels. Ummm hello! I am the mom of a 4 year old. I live in America! What I appreciate most about Erin is her incredible sense of humor and her very realistic approach to handling the inevitable stress that's gonna come our way. Erin...

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Where my fellow DIY girls at? If you know anything about me, you know that I love a good home improvement project. For the past few summers, I've been doing ongoing maintenance on my deck. Working on things like this always gives me time to let me mind wander, and as I was painting a few weeks ago, I had so many lightbulb moments that I knew I needed to record a podcast episode about it! On...

Ashantis Jones is back this week and we're talking all about the relationship between healthism and the rise of fascism. I know, fun right? But as we often discover, it's all different flavors of the same shit sandwich. And if we really wanna be healthy, we need to talk about the hard stuff too! Turns out it's not all just organic hemp seeds and kale chips. Ashantis Jones (she/they) is...