Did you know we’ve lost 80% of the nutrients in vegetables in the last 100 years? As farming has become big agriculture focused on scale, transportation, and profit, human health has suffered along with soil health. Farmer Lee Jones has become one of regenerative farming’s most enthusiastic promoters, and to hear him wax poetic about butternut squash and the way Brussels sprouts grow is like a sports announcer commentating on the game-winning score! In this highly entertaining episode (I can ...
It shouldn’t be controversial to make your own healthcare decisions!! Informed consent has become a buzz word for no good reason. When it comes to informed consent, I personally follow 2 rules: Ask all the questions.Don’t make quick decisions.I hesitate. About everything. If I don’t feel 100% peaceful about something, I don’t do it. You’ll hear my shocking realization about where that response may have been birthed in this interview as I figure it out myself while talking with Alexandra. Hesi...
Do you know any mom who ISN’T feeling a little overwhelmed by all the tasks she’s juggling, who’s NEVER thought, “My house isn’t clean/organized/gorgeous enough,” or who doesn’t think she has a lot of improvement to make on homemaking? I thought so. My guest today, Mystie Winckler, speaks to moms who are overwhelmed or paralyzed by perfectionism, who know their lives will never look like their favorite Instagram influencers, and who are tempted to just give up at home. (Me! Raises hand…) In c...
You get to sit in on what turned into a college class in food history and nutrition label reading! This interview is high-energy, high impact, and will fill both your academic brain and your mama heart. Becky Wells of Hippie Moms is passionate about helping other mamas understand their food and build a healthy foundation for their families, and she cuts through all the marketing confusion and teaches us how to Just. Eat. Food. I thought this interview might be more for the rookies to healthy ...
Alzheimer’s and dementia are some of the scariest realities for adults to consider. No one wants to feel like they’re going to lose their mind! But in this day and age, it feels like cognitive decline is inevitable for many of us, “just a normal part of aging.” Similarly, our culture has come to accept that many kids are neurodivergent, that their brains are wired differently. We diagnose it as ADHD or ASD, or we see that 1/3 of our teens have clinical anxiety and we think, “It’s just the way...
Do you eat organic food? If you do - even a handful of fruits and vegetables - you might be in for a rude surprise when you listen to this interview. Max Goldberg is the founder of Organic Insider and one of the nation’s leading organic food experts. He sees significant room for improvement, really a NEED for improvement, when it comes to the USDA Certified Organic label. Max and I dove into policy, reality, and labeling in the organic industry, and I for one learned a LOT. You can learn too:...
You've heard the figure that most MDs get less than 10-20 hours of nutrition and food training in medical school, and Dr. Katja Rowell (MD!) thinks this is a tragedy. There are some tough moments to hear in this interview, but important ones as we work to raise healthy, independent kids into adulthood. We talked about: What "extreme" picky eating is How bad therapy can hurt a child's relationship with food and family to his/her great detriment, and how you can identify it.Why responsive ...
If having a strong family and raising kids who know how to serve others is important - or necessary - to you, my guest today will inspire, encourage, and challenge you to reach those goals! He prefers the word "invite" over "challenge," so I'm curious to hear what you think! :) I was beyond honored to sit down with Fr. Leo Patalinghug, "the cooking priest," to talk about family dinners, sharing responsibilities in the home, building memories around food, and how he's serving many communities ...
We need to connect with our family members to help them learn and grow beyond meltdowns, and Dr. Bryson will help us do that in the most effective, brain-based way. There is a reason for the meltdowns, and she’ll help us find the root cause today! Strap on your science geek hat and get ready for a class in neuroscience for parents 101. I could listen to Tina teach all day, and I hope you can grab a piece of paper and take notes to help your own brain retain all this info. But even if yo...
My youngest got his first concussion at age 3. After this interview, I’m wondering if another child of mine has some post-concussion symptoms that we never realized had to do with a knock on the head! This interview is for parents of contact sport athletes FOR SURE but also anyone who wants to strengthen their family’s brain health. What’s brain health? It’s the development of your kids’ brains, the avoidance of cognitive decline as we age (yes please!), and everyone’s mental health. Here’s a...
I always thought menopause was something “older” women dealt with. You know, once the kids are gone and you’ve got gray hair and bifocals. But then... I hit 40. And weird stuff started happening. Was it perimenopause? Hormones? Stress? Just a fluke? Honestly, I didn’t know. I wasn’t even sure how to know—because no one really talks about this stuff in detail. This week on the Healthy Parenting Handbook podcast, I got to sit down with Jenn Pike, a brilliant practitioner with a background...
I’ll be honest: I’ve never had a consistent bedtime routine. I teach kids to cook real food, I help families get healthier... and yet when it comes to sleep? Total kryptonite. That’s why I knew I needed to bring in a real expert—someone who doesn’t just say, “You should get more sleep,” but actually shows us how. Dr. Whitney Roban is a clinical psychologist turned sleep consultant who works with families, schools, and even corporations to teach the why and the how of better sleep. And friends...
Let’s be honest, teaching kids about money can feel intimidating. This episode is packed with practical strategies and empowering encouragement. Here’s what you’ll take away from our conversation: Why budgeting is essential for teensHow emotional language can help kids process money stressOne simple phrase that opens the door to healthier financial habitsHow to model smart financial decisions—even when you make mistakesA free tool that empowers teens to track their money in just one hourYou d...
"I don't like fish." How many of us have a child, spouse, or self who says that? My guest today says that's off course - no one can accurately say they "don't like" "fish" - and I love her reasons! Whether you love fish or haven't learned to love it yet, this non-fishy interview all about the fish of the sea is a winner: Have you ever gotten to know your fisherman? Watch my surprise as I do for the first time...How to find the best fish for the biggest health benefitsWhy some fish are harder ...
My oldest struggled with eczema from time to time, but when our house presented us with a toxic mold issue, he really flared up. It was the worst we’d ever seen, and after 3 weeks of completely ditching gluten, dairy, and sugar (by his own choice and motivation), nothing had changed. It was heartbreaking! I can only imagine how tough it is for parents of toddlers with eczema who can’t even communicate their pain. My guest today digs DEEP into eczema and all the potential root causes, the impo...
ADHD is not just an attention disorder; it's an executive functioning disorder. The myths abound! If you’ve always thought of kids with ADHD as those who struggle in school, think again. If you expect ADHD kids to have trouble focusing, wrong again. If you think kids with ADHD are destined to struggle more throughout life, Mike McLeod is here to tell you that ADHD is not a limitation, just a different path. The ADHD brain is truly different from neurotypical brains, although some truths apply...
Emily’s stories are going to get your head nodding in empathy and connection - we’ve all been there with the kid who just will NOT put their shoes on, brush their teeth, or do as we ask! If you’ve ever felt the guilt after exploding all over your kids, those little beings you LOVE so much, you need this interview. We talk all about emotional regulation, how moms need to work on their own big emotions so that they can better help their kids, and how to raise emotionally healthy families. Today...
If you’ve ever passed kefir in the grocery store and wondered, “Is that stuff actually good for you?”—you’re not alone. In this episode, I talk with Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Kefir, who shares how this tangy, probiotic-rich drink became a lifeline for her immigrant family—and a powerful tool for mental and physical wellness. Julie dives into the science behind fermented foods, the gut-brain connection, and why kefir might be one of the most underrated health foods on your shelf. We als...
We may all think and process information differently, but it’s true that some diagnoses make parenting feel a lot more difficult on a day-to-day basis. You’ll receive a heavy dose of empathy and understanding from this interview, along with some very practical strategies to create an environment in which your children can thrive. Ginny and I talked about: How ND kids struggle with executive function, big emotions, and emotional regulation, but can often be gifted with exceptional creativity, ...
We tend to think of "eyesight" as just needing glasses or not. But what if I told you that vision is actually a brain function, and if our kids are struggling visually, it could be impacting their learning, attention, and even behavior? In our chat, Dr. B doesn’t just talk science — he gives us practical tips that any parent can use to support healthy vision for kids, especially in our screen-soaked world. He unpacks the sneaky signs of vision issues, why screen time isn’t just an eye problem...