Insatiable with Ali Shapiro, MSOD, CHHC

In this 7th (and final!) episode of season 14, I interview integrated dietitian and menopause expert Esther Blum on all things hormone replacement therapy for women. In the past 27 years, Esther has helped thousands of women master menopause through nutrition, hormones, and self-advocacy. In addition to her incredible expertise, I always love having on  guests who have walked their talk. Known for being Gwyneth Paltrow's menopause mentor, Esther is the bestselling author of See ya later, Ovulator, among several other books. Disclaimer: While this conversation leaned heavily torwards the benefits of HRT, it's critical for you to do your own research and, of course, to always check with your doctor. This episode—along with every other Insatiable episode—is not intended to replace professional medical advice.  Among the Topics Covered:Why are so many women afraid of using horomone replacement therapy (HRT)?What symptoms would someone be experiencing that would make them want to even consider HRT? What does HRT do exactly? What are some of the first signs that HRT is working? What are the different types of HRT?What are some of the risks associated with HRT?What are some considerations when researching HRT and discussing with your doctor?How is HRT part of a larger midlife puzzle, but not a silver bullet?Guest: Esther Blum is  an integrative dietician, menopause expert and bestselling author of See ya later, Ovulator. Esther has been featured on the Today Show, ABC-TV, and Good Day NY and is frequently quoted in goop, Well + Good, Forbes, Fitness, and Time Magazine.Mentioned in this episode:My once-a-year group program Truce with Food is open for registration through January 31st. Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong with Journalist Angela Saini (Insatiable Season 2, Episode 5)Dr. Pamela W. Smith's researchTranscript & Show Notes: alishapiro.com/esther-blum-interview-hrt/Connect with Insatiable & Ali:Join our free Insatiable community gathering on the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:00 pm ET to meet other Insatiable listeners. Bring your burning questions about the show or whatever you are struggling with for some free coaching from Ali. Visit alishapiro.com/gathering to sign-up and learn more.Call or text our new Insatiable hotline: (412) 475-8006‬. Have a question you'd like Ali to address on a future episode or a comment on the show? Ali would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave us a way to reach you in the event we'd like to play your message on a future episode. Please rate and review Insatiable on your favorite podcast platform—it means more to us than you know—and helps others find the show!

Get ready to dive deep into the groundbreaking insights shared by Dr. Stacy Sims in our 6th episode of season 14.  Stacy brings her wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table, shedding light on the unique physiological considerations women face, especially during phases like perimenopause and menopause. From the impact of hormones on exercise performance to the complexities of gut health and nutrient requirements, this episode is a game-changer for women seeking to optimize their fitness and wellbeing. Guest: Stacy T. Sims, MSC, PHD, is a forward-thinking international exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist who aims to revolutionize exercise nutrition and performance for women. She has directed research programs at Stanford, AUT University, and the University of Waikato, focusing on female athlete health and performance and pushing the dogma to improve research on all women. She wrote the science-based layperson's book (ROAR) to explain sex differences in training and nutrition across the lifespan. Both the consumer products and the book challenged the existing dogma for women in exercise, nutrition, and health. This paradigm shift is the focus of her famous "Women Are Not Small Men” TEDx talk. Dr. Sims has published over 70 peer-reviewed papers, several books and is a regularly featured speaker at professional and academic conferences. Mentioned in this episode:Dr. Stacy Sims's websiteFollow Dr. Stacy Sim's on InstagramNext Level: Your Guide to Kicking Ass, Feeling Great, and Crushing Goals Through Menopause and Beyond by Stacy T. Sims, PhD & Selene YeagerMy once-a-year group program Truce with Food is open for registration through January 31st. Early bird $500 off ends January 26th! Transcript & Show Notes: alishapiro.com/dr-stacy-sims-ex…enopause-midlife/Connect with Insatiable & Ali:Join our free Insatiable community gathering on the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:00 pm ET to meet other Insatiable listeners. Bring your burning questions about the show or whatever you are struggling with for some free coaching from Ali. Visit alishapiro.com/gathering to sign-up and learn more.Call or text our new Insatiable hotline: (412) 475-8006‬. Have a question you'd like Ali to address on a future episode or a comment on the show? Ali would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave us a way to reach you in the event we'd like to play your message on a future episode. Please rate and review Insatiable on your favorite podcast platform—it means more to us than you know—and helps others find the show!

In this fifth episode of season 14, I have a spirited and wide-ranging conversation with Rev. Kinsie M. Tate, founder of Restore Clergy, a nonprofit organization supporting clergy and caregivers. Together, we delve into the delicate complexities of stress leadership in midlife, perimenopause, and menopause. Strap in because we cover a lot ground that goes well beyond the common (just deep breathe?) stress management tactics you'll find out there.  Topics Covered:01:01: Introduction to Kinsey Tate & Why Stress Leadership in Midlife03:21: Understanding Stress and Finding Your Voice15:37: Stress and the Truce with Food framework19:45: Stress and Performance, i.e. It's not all about you31:12:  Stress and Change with Midlife's Unique Challenges32:33: Layering of Stories and Belief Structures50:03: Stress and Identity Shifts at Midlife56:33: Navigating Complexity and Chaos1:09:19: Stress and Grief1:20:51: Capital "T" TruthGuest: Rev. Kinsie M. Tate is an ordained clergy, a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, and certified Truce Coach. Kinsie heads the Restore Program to help clergy get to the root cause of chronic stress, so that they can enjoy a sustainable ministry.  Mentioned in this episode:My once-a-year group program Truce with Food is open for registration through January 31st. Early bird $500 off ends January 26th! Rev. Kinsie M. Tate's Restore Clergy program that supports clergy with holistic resources and programs that improve wellness in order to cultivate faithful and sustainable ministry. Transcript & Show Notes: alishapiro.com/stress-leadership-midlife-kinsie-tate/Connect with Insatiable & Ali:Join our free Insatiable community gathering on the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:00 pm ET to meet other Insatiable listeners. Bring your burning questions about the show or whatever you are struggling with for some free coaching from Ali. Visit alishapiro.com/gathering to sign-up and learn more.Call or text our new Insatiable hotline: (412) 475-8006‬. Have a question you'd like Ali to address on a future episode or a comment on the show? Ali would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave us a way to reach you in the event we'd like to play your message on a future episode. Please rate and review Insatiable on your favorite podcast platform—it means more to us than you know—and helps others find the show!

In this fourth episode of season 14, I'll help you filter through the perimenopause and menopause nutrition noise by busting 3 top myths. Why? Because most of the common advice out there is recycled diet culture heavily rooted in restriction and one-size-fits-all recommendations (at a time in our life when we require a more individualized approach).  Most women will gain weight at midlife, which makes us more susceptible to overblown weight loss and health promises. When I surveyed my list, weight gain was a top concern. Was mine as well as it felt like overnight, I had gained 30 pounds.  In this episode, I share a few lessons I've learned along the way from my own experience and my work with clients. Topics Covered:2:28: Myth #1 Weight Gain is a Given in Perimenopause and Menopause because of Hormone Imbalances 17:52: Myth #2 and Myth #2.5: Eating the right foods will cure my perimenopause and menopause symptoms OR my diet has nothing to do with these symptoms.32:46: Myth #3 The only way to lose weight in peri/menopause is to eat a lot less and exercise a lot more. Maybe intermittent fasting is the answer?Mentioned in this episode:Previous episode: Over 40? What Works Now: Perimenopause and Menopause Food and Exercise 101My client Laura Jacob's weight loss story featured in Prevention magazineSave $40 on your first Daily Harvest box by clicking hereMy once-a-year group program Truce with Food is open for registration through January 31st. Early bird $500 off ends January 26th! Transcript & Show Notes: alishapiro.com/menopause-weight-loss-mythsConnect with Insatiable & Ali:Join our free Insatiable community gathering on the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:00 pm ET to meet other Insatiable listeners. Bring your burning questions about the show or whatever you are struggling with for some free coaching from Ali. Visit alishapiro.com/gathering to sign-up and learn more.Call or text our new Insatiable hotline: (412) 475-8006‬. Have a question you'd like Ali to address on a future episode or a comment on the show? Ali would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave us a way to reach you in the event we'd like to play your message on a future episode. Please rate and review Insatiable on your favorite podcast platform—it means more to us than you know—and helps others find the show!

In this third episode of season 14, I have an eye-opening conversation around midlife sleep struggles with sleep coach Kelly Murray. Insomnia was my main perimenopause symptom (and I had no idea it was even a perimenopause symptom) and yet, about 60% of women report sleep challenges during perimenopause and menopause. Kelly and I will get into root-causes of poor sleep and how the hormonal changes of this time influence sleep. We’ll discuss the role of blood-sugar and gut health in sleep, how many sleep aids don’t address the root health issues insomnia is pointing to, what other minerals aside from magnesium are helpful, and the importance of stress management on sleep. If you've been struggling with sleep and are tired of trying out all of the recycled basic advice, this episode is for you.Topics Covered:Introduction: Why this episode? What makes sleep coach Kelly Murray different? 08:32: How my insomnia in perimenopause led me to Kelly10:16: What is considered a good night's sleep? Signs of bad sleep?15:43: Common sleep struggles20:12: Understanding the cortisol-melatonin connection with sleep25:00: What's happening with these 3am wake-ups?38:00: Most frequently asked questions on Google 41:10: HRT can help, but it's part of a larger puzzle47:33: Kelly's holistic approach to insomnia55:47: The role of magnesium and potassium 59:00: Is melatonin the answer? CBD gummies? 01:03:07: Small snacks before bedtime? 01:05:42: Three actionable takeways Guest:  Kelly Murray is an award-winning certified Pediatric and Adult Sleep Coach. She has been a featured expert and contributor to places like Real Simple, goop, Forbes, New York magazine, she’s also taught at Google. Mentioned in this episode:Kelly Murray's free training "Uncovering Hidden Sleep Sabotagers"Transcript & Show Notes: alishapiro.com/sleep-midlife-challenges-kelly-murrayConnect with Insatiable & Ali:Join our free Insatiable community gathering on the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:00 pm ET to meet other Insatiable listeners. Bring your burning questions about the show or whatever you are struggling with for some free coaching from Ali. Visit alishapiro.com/gathering to sign-up and learn more.Call or text our new Insatiable hotline: (412) 475-8006‬. Have a question you'd like Ali to address on a future episode or a comment on the show? Ali would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave us a way to reach you in the event we'd like to play your message on a future episode. Please rate and review Insatiable on your favorite podcast platform—it means more to us than you know—and helps others find the show!

In this second episode of season 14, I have a thought-provoking conversation around midlife experiences, alcohol, and personal growth with bestselling author Laura McKowen. We explore the challenges of perimenopause, menopause, and the impact of alcohol consumption on women's health.  We cover it all, from the intersection of food and alcohol struggles with hormonal changes to the spiritual reckoning and opportunities that come with midlife. Whether you're struggling with food and alcohol during this stage in your life, are sober curious,  or just asking yourself some of the big midlife questions, this episode is for you. Topics Covered:Introduction:  Why this episode? Why Laura McKowen? And quick disclaimer3:55: Laura's perimenopause experience so far...9:47:  Work-life balance, shifting mindset, and newfound contentment14:53: Navigating body changes and exercise struggles18:21: Exploring the impact of food on glucose levels24:03: Unacknowledged grief: from addiction to menopause35:14: Empty nest and drinking?39:38:  Anger and "going mad" in menopause45:56: "Moderate" drinking in menopause?52:22: What is your relationship to alcohol?54:18: Cheryl Strayed exploring her own alcohol use56:00: How to experiment with not drinking01:05:05: Navigating life's changes with grace, compassion, and acceptance1:13:19: Predictions for the future of alcohol and menopauseGuest: Laura McKowen is the author of the bestselling memoir, We Are The Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life and Push Off From Here: Nine Essential Truths to Get You Through Life (and Everything Else). She has written for The New York Times and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Atlantic, the TODAY show, and more. In 2020, she founded The Luckiest Club, a global sobriety support community. Laura lives with her daughter and partner on the North Shore of Boston.Mentioned in this episode:Laura McKowen's The Luckiest Club, a dogma-free, compassionate place to recover from alcohol addiction and thrive in life.  Laura McKowen's excellent substack Love Story.Sunnyside app and community to explore a more mindful approach to drinking.Cheryl Strayed's Dear Sugar Letter #28: A Problem Without a ProblemWhat Alcohol Does to Your Body, Brain & Health (Andrew Huberman PodcasConnect with Insatiable & Ali:Join our free Insatiable community gathering on the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:00 pm ET to meet other Insatiable listeners. Bring your burning questions about the show or whatever you are struggling with for some free coaching from Ali. Visit alishapiro.com/gathering to sign-up and learn more.Call or text our new Insatiable hotline: (412) 475-8006‬. Have a question you'd like Ali to address on a future episode or a comment on the show? Ali would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave us a way to reach you in the event we'd like to play your message on a future episode. Please rate and review Insatiable on your favorite podcast platform—it means more to us than you know—and helps others find the show!

Hello Insatiable Listeners! Strap in for this new season (the 14th!) where we'll cover all things perimenopause, menopause, and midlife. This introductory episode begins with my own personal story—including dramatic weight gain—and some shocking realizations that planted the initial seeds for this season we are about to embark upon. Let me tell you, midlife brings some serious changes and challenges on all fronts. In order to address these, in this episode, I provide an overview of the wide-ranging topics we’ll cover this season—that go beyond hot flashes—and give you a rundown of the incredible roster of guests that’ll help guide us through this often demanding and rewarding terrain. My aim this season is to create the resource I wish I had when I was going through this stage of life. Expect actionable takeaways and the deeper, more nuanced conversations you’ve come to expect from Insatiable.Thank you for listening.*New episodes will be released every Wednesday. ----------------------------------This Season's Upcoming Guests (Introduced in this Episode)Kelly Murray: An award-winning certified Pediatric and Adult Sleep Coach. Kelly has been a featured expert and contributor to places like Real Simple, goop, Forbes, New York magazine, she’s also taught at Google...the list goes on.Rev. Kinsie M. Tate: An ordained clergy, a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, and certified Truce Coach. Kinsie heads the Restore Program to help clergy get to the root cause of chronic stress, so that they can enjoy a sustainable ministry.  Laura McKowen: Author of the bestselling memoir, We Are The Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life and Push Off From Here: Nine Essential Truths to Get You Through Life (and Everything Else). In 2020, she founded The Luckiest Club, a global sobriety support community. Dr. Stacy Sims: An international exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist who has published over 70 peer-reviewed papers and several books, including the excellent Next Level: Your Guide to Kicking Ass, Feeling Great, and Crushing Goals Through Menopause and Beyond.Esther Blum: An integrative dietician, menopause expert and bestselling author of See ya later, Ovulator. Esther has been featured on the Today Show, ABC-TV, and Good Day NY and is frequently quoted in goop, Well + Good, Forbes, Fitness, and Time Magazine.Transcript & Show Notes for this episode: alishapiro.com/my-menopause-storyConnect with Insatiable & Ali:Join our free Insatiable community gathering on the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:00 pm ET to meet other Insatiable listeners. Bring your burning questions about the show or whatever you are struggling with for some free coaching from Ali. Visit alishapiro.com/gathering to sign-up and learn more.Call or text our new Insatiable hotline: (412) 475-8006‬. Have a question you'd like Ali to address on a future episode or a comment on the show? Ali would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave us a way to reach you in the event we'd like to play your message on a future episode. Please rate and review Insatiable on your favorite podcast platform—it means more to us than you know—and helps others find the show!

Elise and I pick up our conversation from part one of her instant New York Times bestseller On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good.  In this episode, we take our conversation further and deeper, unpacking the sins of Envy and Sloth and their effect on women.  It’s rare I can talk to someone who understands the various perspectives on body image (including the ones where it has nothing to do with one’s body size) so it was a real treat to go to the depths. This includes why body positivity often misses the mark in supporting women’s relationship with their body.  In our interview today, we discuss:The changing nature of what defines enough food “restriction” (Kate Moss’ 90’s heroine chic wasn’t the end!)The unconscious yearnings in feeling light and “high” from restricting food to feeling heavy and “low” from bingingWhy it’s important to pay attention to your envy and judgment of other women, including their bodiesHow scarcity and the sin of Sloth drive women to rush, overwork, and overdoThe two sins no one has asked about in all her interviews and what’s the one thing she wishes would happen with her book that hasn’t. About EliseElise Loehnen is a writer, editor, and podcast host who lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Rob, and their two sons, Max and Sam. She is the host of Pulling the Thread, a podcast focused on pulling apart the stories we tell about who we are—and then putting those threads back together. She’s also the author of the instant New York Times bestseller On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good (Dial Press/PRH). The book weaves together history, memoir, and cultural criticism to explore the ways patriarchy lands in the bodies of women and embeds itself in our consciousness—and what we then police in ourselves and in each other. Regardless of our religious provenance, the self-denial implicit in each of the Seven Deadly Sins—Sloth, Envy, Pride, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Anger—reads like a checklist of what it means to be a “good” woman. With awareness, we can begin to recognize these patterns of self-restriction, break the story, and move ourselves and each other toward freedom and balance.Elise is a frequent contributor to Oprah, and has written for The New York Times, Elle DeConnect with Insatiable & Ali:Join our free Insatiable community gathering on the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:00 pm ET to meet other Insatiable listeners. Bring your burning questions about the show or whatever you are struggling with for some free coaching from Ali. Visit alishapiro.com/gathering to sign-up and learn more.Call or text our new Insatiable hotline: (412) 475-8006‬. Have a question you'd like Ali to address on a future episode or a comment on the show? Ali would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave us a way to reach you in the event we'd like to play your message on a future episode. Please rate and review Insatiable on your favorite podcast platform—it means more to us than you know—and helps others find the show!

Annually, Elise Loehnen’s parents would weigh themselves in a vigilant effort to stay within five to ten pounds of their marriage weight. When Elise went away to boarding school, this culture further normalized eating vigilance and restriction as necessary. Then in her early career at Lucky Magazine, where she was often photographed, restricting her food in attempts to be a sample size at 5 ‘10 seemed like the obvious choice to stay on the path of acceptance and “goodness”. Then came a stint as goop’s content manager where she was immersed in the wellness industry’s gospel of “clean eating”, today’s socially acceptable term for restriction. And now, in her instant New York Times’ best seller book, On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good (Dial Press/PRH), Elise brilliantly connects how the sin of gluttony - not science - forms a tapestry of misguided restriction norms that have serious consequences for our food, bodies, and health.  In our interview today, we dive deep into Elise’s Gluttony chapter to discuss:The meta-physical invitation in Elise’s breathlessnessThe placebo and nocebo influence of the BMI, exercise that counts, and thinking about your weightThe difference between hunger instincts and intuition to more clearly hear your appetiteHow the cultural “good” body story creates blindspots and accompanying health risks no matter what your body size (and how to think differently to see these blindspots)What’s up with wanting to look disciplined yet effortless with your food and physique (asking for myself after not effortlessly losing my pregnancy weight)?About Elise Elise Loehnen is a writer, editor, and podcast host who lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Rob, and their two sons, Max and Sam. She is the host of Pulling the Thread, a podcast focused on pulling apart the stories we tell about who we are—and then putting those threads back together. She’s also the author of the instant New York Times bestseller On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good (Dial Press/PRH). The book weaves together history, memoir, and cultural criticism to explore the ways patriarchy lands in the bodies of women and embeds itself in our consciousness—and what we then police in ourselves and in each other. Regardless of our religious provenance, the self-denial implicit in each of the Seven Deadly Sins—Sloth, Envy, Pride, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Anger—reads like a checklist of what it means to be a “good” woman. With awareness, we can begin to recognize these patterns of seConnect with Insatiable & Ali:Join our free Insatiable community gathering on the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:00 pm ET to meet other Insatiable listeners. Bring your burning questions about the show or whatever you are struggling with for some free coaching from Ali. Visit alishapiro.com/gathering to sign-up and learn more.Call or text our new Insatiable hotline: (412) 475-8006‬. Have a question you'd like Ali to address on a future episode or a comment on the show? Ali would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave us a way to reach you in the event we'd like to play your message on a future episode. Please rate and review Insatiable on your favorite podcast platform—it means more to us than you know—and helps others find the show!

Part of what’s been hard for me the last three years was I didn’t understand how drastically the hormonal shifts that start for women around 35 and accelerate in our mid-40s affects ALL THE THINGS.And I’m someone who knows that our physiology and psychology are in a constant feedback loop. Yet because perimenopause and menopause are women's health issues, they don’t get the attention they deserve. Nor do doctor’s really understand them all that well (the horror stories I hear from clients 😮‍💨).I’m doing my part to change that with this special Insatiable episode. I’m sharing the major nutrition and exercise realities I wish I knew about perimenopause and menopause. I had to learn about them through a lot of suffering with plantar fasciitis, insomnia, irritation/anger/rage, and grappling with significant weight gain that felt like it came out of nowhere. ​ While some menopause symptoms are inevitable, there's also a lot you can do to reduce and better manage symptoms through this profound threshold and beyond. In this podcast, I discuss:How decreases in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone affect your nutrition and exercise needs and why what worked before 40 often backfires now (and what I did to lose 20 pounds).The 2 key nutrition shifts I needed to make and why adding more of these foods in is more important than ever for your health and weightWhy women need carbs at this stage (especially at night), a starting point of how many carbs you need, and the best time to eats something sweet if you’re struggling with sleepWhy Intermittent Fasting (IF) often backfires and things to consider if you want to experiment with IF (and how eating a snack before bed actually helped my insomnia for a year!)The biggest exercise shift I made to support my health, weight, and peace of mindThe simple lifestyle shift I didn’t know I needed to support my insomnia Episode LinksFree Health Coaching Disruption Hour for Rebel PractitionersFree Truce with Food community gatheringsTruce Coaching CertificationOn Our Best Behavior by Elise LoehnenConnect with Insatiable & Ali:Join our free Insatiable community gathering on the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:00 pm ET to meet other Insatiable listeners. Bring your burning questions about the show or whatever you are struggling with for some free coaching from Ali. Visit alishapiro.com/gathering to sign-up and learn more.Call or text our new Insatiable hotline: (412) 475-8006‬. Have a question you'd like Ali to address on a future episode or a comment on the show? Ali would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave us a way to reach you in the event we'd like to play your message on a future episode. Please rate and review Insatiable on your favorite podcast platform—it means more to us than you know—and helps others find the show!

While Laura McKowen is known for her work around alcohol sobriety, her first coping strategy was food.Like Laura, I have many clients who come to me where their first “thing” was food. And after getting sober or soberish, their eating issues return or becomes a “thing”.In this special Insatiable episode, we apply the wisdom Laura writes about in her new book to food, body image, and the overlap with alcohol. We discuss:How Laura’s original coping mechanism was bingeing and the overlapping and distinct root causes between her food and alcohol strugglesWhy stopping bad habits like alcohol and battling food is different than starting new habits and how you change has to shift to what Laura discusses as “being willing to be led”Grief from the loss of using alcohol, food, and the fantasies they offer How wanting to be saved, desired, and chosen fueled Laura’s alcohol and body image issues and the deep work she did to heal and now be in a healthy relationshipHow Laura views sobriety as an invitation into a “Bigger Yes” (we also discuss the pushback at this suggestion and how it’s even more politically incorrect to say your body battle is an invitation into a “Bigger Yes”)The connection between eating disorders, alcohol use disorder, and sensitive, empathetic, and perceptive people (and their nervous systems), and where they need to push off too.Buy a copy of Laura’s new book, Push Off From Here: Nine Essential Truths to Get You Through Sobriety (And Everything Else) at https://www.lauramckowen.com/books or wherever you buy your favorite books.Connect with Insatiable & Ali:Join our free Insatiable community gathering on the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:00 pm ET to meet other Insatiable listeners. Bring your burning questions about the show or whatever you are struggling with for some free coaching from Ali. Visit alishapiro.com/gathering to sign-up and learn more.Call or text our new Insatiable hotline: (412) 475-8006‬. Have a question you'd like Ali to address on a future episode or a comment on the show? Ali would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave us a way to reach you in the event we'd like to play your message on a future episode. Please rate and review Insatiable on your favorite podcast platform—it means more to us than you know—and helps others find the show!

Dr. Michelle Segar, one of the more progressive health behavioral change experts, says sustainable behavior change with eating and exercise is not a product of rule-following.In other words, trying so hard to perfectly stick to a plan is not an effective goal or strategy. Rather, we need to learn flexibility. Because life is much more unpredictable these days. Anyone like me who sends their child to daycare knows this deep in their bones!We also need to learn how to experiment to see what actually works in this stage of our lives. Not what worked 20 years ago when our stress was minimal. Or now, in the menopausal transition. How does one learn this flexibility and trust in imperfect action, which often just feels like guilt and shame for “being bad”?I brought on my clients Whitnee and Erin to share their  Truce with Food journey of how they learned to listen to their bodies to figure out what really works for them now and effectively experiment to reach their health and wellness goals. In today’s episode we discuss,The importance of finding fun and magic in our goal pursuits, not just the accomplishment outcomeThe Catholic and Christian influences that formed both their stories and struggles to be “good”How Whitnee finally made a “Truce” with her dairy intolerance after years of the restrict-over do it cycle.How Whitnee and Erin both learned to be flexible with their exercise goals given Erin’s back pain and Whitnee’s knee pain, COVID, and then plantar fasciitis The challenge and freedom of growth mindset (ie.“trusting the process”) and how they set and work towards their goals now Mentioned in this episodeSMART Goals: How They Sabotage Eating and Exercise Goals workshop (free, 1/11/23)Truce with Food 2023: Registration runs 1/9-1/20. Save $500 in this once a year program when you register by January 16.Erintusa.com@trainwithtusaConnect with Insatiable & Ali:Join our free Insatiable community gathering on the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:00 pm ET to meet other Insatiable listeners. Bring your burning questions about the show or whatever you are struggling with for some free coaching from Ali. Visit alishapiro.com/gathering to sign-up and learn more.Call or text our new Insatiable hotline: (412) 475-8006‬. Have a question you'd like Ali to address on a future episode or a comment on the show? Ali would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave us a way to reach you in the event we'd like to play your message on a future episode. Please rate and review Insatiable on your favorite podcast platform—it means more to us than you know—and helps others find the show!

When I surveyed my newsletter readers back In the April, a common survey response theme was:“I feel uncomfortable in my body and feel ridiculous that I am focused on this when there is so much else that is so much more important to deal with.”I sooo get this. I felt this way about my own weight struggles in the 9/11, U.S. invasion of Iraq-era. And today’s world issues feel much more urgent and complex.Yet what I’ve discovered is that tending to our body discomfort is not ridiculous. With a holistic and root cause resolution approach like Truce with Food, our body discomfort reveals a values gap of what we say matters and what how we are actually living. And this values gap matters deeply right now. Collectively, we understand “normal” isn’t working; “bottom up” changes in how we spend our time, money, and energy matter if we want to create a new, healthier normal. To illustrate what this values-gap driven body discomfort looks like to work through, my Truce with Food clients Charlotta and Margaret Louise are here to share their journey of self-authoring their values for more psychological safety and a radically different relationship to food and themselves.  In today’s episode, we discuss:A deeper understanding of how to embody safety to increase resilience and decrease out of control eating.How systems like capitalism and patriarchy, which value control, unknowingly molded our collective values and the personal values each of us had to change.An alternative definition of valuing discipline (that isn’t about control) to change our food habits and life.The new values that replaced perfectionism, hyper-productivity, “faster, better”, and trying to do everything on our own.How this values revolution evolved the stories that were driving our stress and body discomfort and led to better food choices, a more sacred relationship with our bodies, and more fulfillment.  Mentioned in this EpisodeFree Food as Safety GatheringsTruce with Food 2023The Sparkling Mud@thesparklingmudConnect with Insatiable & Ali:Join our free Insatiable community gathering on the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:00 pm ET to meet other Insatiable listeners. Bring your burning questions about the show or whatever you are struggling with for some free coaching from Ali. Visit alishapiro.com/gathering to sign-up and learn more.Call or text our new Insatiable hotline: (412) 475-8006‬. Have a question you'd like Ali to address on a future episode or a comment on the show? Ali would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave us a way to reach you in the event we'd like to play your message on a future episode. Please rate and review Insatiable on your favorite podcast platform—it means more to us than you know—and helps others find the show!

A  Truce with Food foundational focus is learning how to effectively respond to the stress that makes you eat. Because we are often reacting to the past when our sense of safety was compromised, which fuels our current stress. For example, I used to binge on sugar during my cancer “scanxiety” season even though it was 15 years later. Because in the past, MRIs did find cancer (and I didn’t know I could ever not turn to food!). Logically I knew I was probably fine. But emotionally I was a wreck. To effectively respond to your stress in the present, in  Truce with Food, we tend to your body's physiology. Specifically, cultivating safety in your nervous system; your nervous system physiology under threat often leads to “Chuck it, F@#$ it” Ubereats, fantasy thoughts like “Diet starts tomorrow”, and binging. Because your body’s physiology informs your “mindset”.  Anyone who knows how crashing blood sugar fuels their anxiety knows this on one level.  To better understand your own nervous system reactions and accompanying food habits, I’ve brought back Stacey Ramsower from Episode 1 of this season. We discuss how our nervous system picks up on stress, often before our brain, and that leads to out of control eating. Stacey is one of the few people I know who understands how the most powerful change involves your physiology and psychology. In today’s episode, we discuss:The difference between your body, brain, and mind when trying to change your relationship to food (hint: most mindset work doesn’t address this and yet, your body communicates to your brain at 4x the speed!)How “Diet starts tomorrow” is a fantasy thought and often a sign you’re in a “Flight” nervous system reactionWhat the Flight and Freeze nervous system reactions feel like inside your bodyThe connection between Binging and the Freeze nervous system reactionTwo powerful practices to try and regulate your nervous system to better deal with your present stress and change your eating habits Mentioned in this EpisodeFree Food as Safety GatheringsTruce with Food 2023https://www.staceyramsower.com/Stacey’s InstagramConnect with Insatiable & Ali:Join our free Insatiable community gathering on the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:00 pm ET to meet other Insatiable listeners. Bring your burning questions about the show or whatever you are struggling with for some free coaching from Ali. Visit alishapiro.com/gathering to sign-up and learn more.Call or text our new Insatiable hotline: (412) 475-8006‬. Have a question you'd like Ali to address on a future episode or a comment on the show? Ali would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave us a way to reach you in the event we'd like to play your message on a future episode. Please rate and review Insatiable on your favorite podcast platform—it means more to us than you know—and helps others find the show!

How many times have you thought: why do I self-sabotage with food? If those answers haven’t gotten you very far, I have a much better question for you.“How does my eating protect me?” is a question that will take you far and deep. To guide us with this question and path to your answers, I have the wise Sil Reynolds to talk food, protection strategies, and the root vulnerability in our stories that our food habits are trying, perhaps begging you, to pay attention to.   In this expansive, soul food conversation, we discuss:Sil’s struggle with food and her journey to heal her Motherline to find a sense of home in her body and psyche.The role of the archetypal feminine and emotional attunement in our food and body image struggles, including the symbolism in emotionally eating sweet carbohydratesHow perfectionism is a safety strategy, not a personality type and why we keep trying to be “Good”, even when it feels so bad.How body image isn’t really about the body and a powerful question to ask when you feel fat to shift your mindset by getting to the root of the issueAbout Sil ReynoldsSil brings 40 years experience to her work as a coach and a teacher: experience as a nurse practitioner, psychotherapist, workshop leader, author, and a Mothering & Daughtering coach.She graduated from Brown University where she majored in Women’s Studies. She graduated from Marion Woodman’s BodySoul Rhythms training in dreamwork, archetypal psychology, and the art and science of listening to the wisdom of the body. Sil explains that “Marion Woodman’s work reflects a unique Jungian lineage focuses on bringing the archetypal Divine Feminine into our embodied, earthly lives. Her lineage is my lineage, it is my spiritual motherline, and it has been my lifeline during difficult times.” Mentioned in this EpisodeFood as Safety Gatherings with Ali: Gather with like-minded health rebels who hate small talk to learn how to apply the Insatiable Season 13 podcasts to your life. Ali will teach, provide coaching exercise, tools and coach a few participants stress eating so you can get to the root of your stress eating and work through it. No white knuckling required. Sil ReynoldsConnect with Insatiable & Ali:Join our free Insatiable community gathering on the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:00 pm ET to meet other Insatiable listeners. Bring your burning questions about the show or whatever you are struggling with for some free coaching from Ali. Visit alishapiro.com/gathering to sign-up and learn more.Call or text our new Insatiable hotline: (412) 475-8006‬. Have a question you'd like Ali to address on a future episode or a comment on the show? Ali would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave us a way to reach you in the event we'd like to play your message on a future episode. Please rate and review Insatiable on your favorite podcast platform—it means more to us than you know—and helps others find the show!

The Wellness culture we see as we scroll through Instagram or listen to in our earbuds on various wellness podcasts often casts itself as the opposite of Western Medicine. And yet, both industries overlap via the same value system of Puritans and Protestantism. From “clean eating” to failed functional medicine protocols because “client’s aren’t disciplined enough”, Protestantism and Puritanism are alive and well in both industries. This wouldn’t be a problem except these guiding principles aren’t actually how the body works. As a result, while both industries have different offerings, both limit us because of their blindspots created by these religious values and beliefs. In today’s episode with one of my favorite writers, Dr. Anne Helen Petersen, we discuss:  A background of what Protestantism and Puritanism are and how they’ve influenced diet and wellness culture and the deeper meaning implied in hashtags #blessed, #highvibes, and #nolowvibesHow Protestantism and Puritanism especially influenced fat phobia and the 80s and 90s body ideal of what Anne calls “aspirational containment”.How wellness influencers and celebrities like Peloton instructors have given us secular outlets to satiate the needs that religion provides.How Anne shifted and continues to shift her relationship to exercise and work by incorporating this value that is considered “bad” in Puritanism yet supports the body to thrive.Anne’s process of first intellectualizing how problematic these religious values are in relation to exercise, the body, and work and then actually making the changes to embody new values that support her feeling great and athletic in her body, now in her 40s.  About Anne Helen PetersonAnne is an American writer and journalist. She received her Ph.D in Media Studies, where she did her dissertation on Celebrity Culture…we will get into why here in the episode.She worked as a Senior Culture Writer for BuzzFeed until August 2020, when she began writing full-time for her newsletter "Culture Study" on Substack. I know many of you read it. It’s so so good. Her most recent book “Out of Office” is about the future of work. And she has two new podcasts of her own: Work Appropriate and Townsizing, which is about people living in small towns. Mentioned in this episode:Free Food as Safety Gatherings with Ali: Gather with like-minded health rebels who hate small talk to learn how to apply the Insatiable Season 13 podcasts to your life. Ali will teach, provide coaching exercise, tools and coach a few participants stress eating so you can get to the root of your stress eating and work through it. No white knuckling required.  Culture Study with Anne Helen PetersenConnect with Insatiable & Ali:Join our free Insatiable community gathering on the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:00 pm ET to meet other Insatiable listeners. Bring your burning questions about the show or whatever you are struggling with for some free coaching from Ali. Visit alishapiro.com/gathering to sign-up and learn more.Call or text our new Insatiable hotline: (412) 475-8006‬. Have a question you'd like Ali to address on a future episode or a comment on the show? Ali would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave us a way to reach you in the event we'd like to play your message on a future episode. Please rate and review Insatiable on your favorite podcast platform—it means more to us than you know—and helps others find the show!

“How can I stop stress eating? is a frequent question I get asked. In today’s episode, I share a more powerful question that’s necessary to ask - “What’s eating you?” - to get back in control of food. No white knuckling required.I share my own current story work related to my burn-out that caused my body to fall apart (and keep 30 pounds of post-pregnancy weight on), answer some listener questions, and offer some client examples for you to get crystal clear on your own stress eating.  In this solo episode, I share:The 3 phases of awareness you need to resolve your stress eatingThe “elephant in the room” causing your out of control and out of alignment with your goals eatingThe role our stories play in stress eatingHow story work gets misunderstood and misinterpreted, creating more tools, work, and “feeling bad for feeling bad” that leads to lackluster results.Two powerful coaching questions to get you started on resolving your stress eating today. Mentioned in this Episodehttp://alishapiro.com/food-as-safetyConnect with Insatiable & Ali:Join our free Insatiable community gathering on the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:00 pm ET to meet other Insatiable listeners. Bring your burning questions about the show or whatever you are struggling with for some free coaching from Ali. Visit alishapiro.com/gathering to sign-up and learn more.Call or text our new Insatiable hotline: (412) 475-8006‬. Have a question you'd like Ali to address on a future episode or a comment on the show? Ali would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave us a way to reach you in the event we'd like to play your message on a future episode. Please rate and review Insatiable on your favorite podcast platform—it means more to us than you know—and helps others find the show!

Have you ever thought about your birth?  If you’re like most people, you probably haven’t. And yet, as Stacey shares, according to Ayverveda’s Sankyha philosophy, 25% of who we are comes from our conception and birth. This makes safety and food intimately connected and tangled from before we even make our Earth-side entrance. In order to understand food’s connection to safety, we are starting at the beginning. Specifically, our beginnings as we began growing in the womb and then officially made our Earth side entrance. In this heart-felt, deep conversation, we discuss:Stacey’s tumultuous relationship with food and what she discovered was at the root of her restriction and then binging-purging symptoms. The role our gestation and support our Mother’s do or don’t receive contributes to our sense of safety, according to Ayurveda’s Sankyha philosophy.How food provides a sense of literal structure to our bodies and thus safety. And if we don’t get the structure or felt presence of being “seen, held, and known” in relationships, we turn to food for safety. How early stage eating influences what we were “told” about what and how much is available to us. While mainstream emotional eating advice says we binge or overeat in reaction to restriction, we discuss there’s also overeating in anticipation of not having enough food or other forms of safety. Why we eat during transitions like work to home or Friday night to weekend and how birth as our first official transition can leave an imprint on how we experience transitions today. And some tips for making transitions easier today so we don’t need food. How Stacey’s healing journey to develop a broader sense of safety beyond food led to her first ever awe inspiring pregnancies post-meeting her birth mother. Stacey Ramsower is an Ayurvedic Lifestyle Coach, Holistic Perinatal Consultant, Somatic Sex Educator, and mother. She supports women through their transformation to Motherhood through ritual practices, hands on work, and private coaching. Stacey is currently pursuing a doctorate in clinical psychology. She lives in Tucson, AZ with her husband and two kids. Mentioned in this Episode:https://www.staceyramsower.com/Stacey’s InstagramFree Truce with Food Mini-Course  JOIN US AT THE FREE FOOD AS SAFETY GATHERINGS? Do you want to apply the Insatiable Season 13 episodes to your life? Would you love to keep the conversation going with other intrepid health rebels who hate small talk? Join us for a free, Food as Safety gathering, where you can take the first step in your own Truce with Food by working through your current stressConnect with Insatiable & Ali:Join our free Insatiable community gathering on the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:00 pm ET to meet other Insatiable listeners. Bring your burning questions about the show or whatever you are struggling with for some free coaching from Ali. Visit alishapiro.com/gathering to sign-up and learn more.Call or text our new Insatiable hotline: (412) 475-8006‬. Have a question you'd like Ali to address on a future episode or a comment on the show? Ali would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave us a way to reach you in the event we'd like to play your message on a future episode. Please rate and review Insatiable on your favorite podcast platform—it means more to us than you know—and helps others find the show!

The past few years have tested each of us.  We’ve been immersed in Grief. Loss. Relationship fissures. Children’s developmental concerns. Money stress. And these individual challenges are nesting dolls of the escalating war on women’s bodies, caretaking, and the Earth. With this, it’s not surprising that stress and stress eating are at an all-time high.In the American Psychological Association's pandemic anniversary surveys, COVID-19-related stress was associated with unhealthy weight gains and increased drinking. While there were jokes about the initial “COVID 19”, close to 58% of respondents reported experiencing persistent, undesired weight changes and unhealthy behaviors. And many reported worse mental health, lower physical activity, disturbed sleep, and increased reliance on unhealthy habits.If safety is a primal need and stress is inevitable….Listen to the full trailer for more. Connect with Insatiable & Ali:Join our free Insatiable community gathering on the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:00 pm ET to meet other Insatiable listeners. Bring your burning questions about the show or whatever you are struggling with for some free coaching from Ali. Visit alishapiro.com/gathering to sign-up and learn more.Call or text our new Insatiable hotline: (412) 475-8006‬. Have a question you'd like Ali to address on a future episode or a comment on the show? Ali would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave us a way to reach you in the event we'd like to play your message on a future episode. Please rate and review Insatiable on your favorite podcast platform—it means more to us than you know—and helps others find the show!

In this special Insatiable podcast episode, I celebrate a major milestone: 30 years as a cancer survivor. I’ll share how what resolved my acne, depression, IBS, infertility, and out of control eating was learning how to redefine health beyond losing weight and learning to trust in my body feeling satisfied, not sacrificing and suffering. And how this new orientation led to transformational health results I didn’t even know were possible. Including sustainable weight loss, a Truce with Food, and a relationship of awe and gratitude for my body.  Ali shares:Why knowing the difference between Authorities and Experts is essential for transformational results. Especially if like me, as the first generation of childhood cancer survivors, there’s very little research to go on for your own body challenges.How I got out of the insanity of “I know sugar feeds on cancer” yet would binge on it during “scanxiety” season. If you struggle with health issues that are exacerbated by eating things you know you shouldn’t, this mindset shift helps.How mainstream goal setting, predicated on “You are not your story! Day 1 starts today”” sabotages us exactly like "Diet starts tomorrow" and a different approach to goal setting that resolves our root-causes and works in our real lives. The root cause of my bingeing and weight loss obsession that cancer deepened but wasn’t any more destructive than diets. And a simple practice for you to get to the root of your destructive eating habits.What I now believe about how weight is or isn’t related to health. And then I answer listener questions, which includeWhat role does diet play in your life as a survivor? Have you put your cancer in the rear view mirror, or does it still occupy your thoughts?Residual worries and things you have to be concerned about that others don’t?How can friends be supportive?  Mentioned in this episode:SMART Goals: How they Sabotage Eating and Exercise Goals and What Works for Deeper Coaching Impact on August 23 at 12 pm.   In this workshop for Coaches, Therapists, and Other Health Professionals, we will cover:The emerging research on why eating and exercise are in a unique change category and how this changes the client goals and coaching for deep impact.The protective role of bad habits and why this understanding is essential for sustainable change (i.e. compliance), including the idea that a client has to “Tony Robbins” their way out of their bad food and health habits.Why more tools that stay on the surface aren't the answer and how an evidence-based, root-cause resolution of a client’s resistance to change creates elegant solutions so they aren't failing at one more thing“Complexity fitness” and its role in empowering clients by ending the sabotaging, all or-nothing mindset.Connect with Insatiable & Ali:Join our free Insatiable community gathering on the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:00 pm ET to meet other Insatiable listeners. Bring your burning questions about the show or whatever you are struggling with for some free coaching from Ali. Visit alishapiro.com/gathering to sign-up and learn more.Call or text our new Insatiable hotline: (412) 475-8006‬. Have a question you'd like Ali to address on a future episode or a comment on the show? Ali would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave us a way to reach you in the event we'd like to play your message on a future episode. Please rate and review Insatiable on your favorite podcast platform—it means more to us than you know—and helps others find the show!