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When you live in the diet mindset, you spend much of your time living in your head- constantly tallying, dwelling, and stressing over your food and lifestyle choices. When you become an intuitive eater, you learn to drop into your body and start living shoulders down. The territory below your shoulders contains your innate wisdom and power. Shoulders Down is a podcast designed to teach you how to harness your intuition to govern not just how you eat but also how you live. Shoulders Down Podcast is hosted by Anti-Diet Dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, Leah Kern, who works with clients to heal their relationships with food in her private practice, Leah Kern Nutrition. Disclaimer: All content in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. The information and education provided is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis.
120 Episodes
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This episode will walk you through five powerful studies that challenge diet culture and reshape the way we think about food. These studies highlight how health is influenced by connection, compassion, satisfaction, and beliefs — not just calories or nutrients. I cover: The Rabbit Study and how kindness can influence health outcomesThe Roseto Effect and the role of community in protecting heart healthResearch on Thai vs. Swedish women showing that satisfaction impacts nutrient absorptionThe S...
When The Biggest Loser hit TV in the early 2000s, it was a cultural force that shaped how we think about weight, health, and discipline. Now, the new documentary Fit for TV revisits the show’s legacy. In this episode, I share my reflections on the documentary through the lens of a non-diet dietitian who grew up watching The Biggest Loser.I break down what the documentary actually got right — and where it fell short. We’ll cover: The moments that exposed the physical and psychologi...
What happens when your anti-diet values collide with the realities of a weight-obsessed medical system? In today’s solo episode, I respond to a deeply vulnerable listener story about being required to undergo weight monitoring during pregnancy as a gestational surrogate—after more than a decade of avoiding the scale as part of her healing from disordered eating. I unpack the emotional toll of being reduced to a number, the grief of not having full autonomy in medical spaces, and how weight st...
In this episode, we're covering 6 lessons I learned on the Appalachian Trail that can be applied to Intuitive Eating. Mentioned in the episode: Social Determinants of Health & Intuitive Eating blog post📚Download your free Intuitive Eating Starter PackMore from Leah: 📚Download your free Intuitive Eating Starter PackApply to The Embodied Method, my 1:1 coaching programJoin my self-paced course, The ReturnSubscribe to Leah's Youtube ChannelSubscribe to my personal SubstackFollow me on Instag...
In this episode, we revisit the topic of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic. You’ll hear from 7 guests: therapists, dietitians, former clients, and people who’ve personally used GLP-1s Each person shares how they’re navigating intuitive eating and body acceptance in a culture obsessed with weight loss. This episode features several guests who have already appeared on the show. Here are links to their original episodes: Jamie’s Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/lived-experience-...
In this episode, we’re reclaiming nutrition facts from the clutches of food rules and fear. You’ll learn how to approach a nutrition label without spiraling into judgment or rigid thinking—and how these labels can actually support you in honoring your body’s needs. We cover: Why serving sizes are often arbitrary (and not worth stressing over)How to assess if a food will be satisfying and sustaining—beyond just caloriesWhat to do when a meal leaves you hungry an hour later (hint: it’s probably...
In this episode, Abbie Attwood, a non-diet, weight-inclusive provider, joins us to talk about: How struggling with anxiety led her into disordered eatingThe role of being a competitive runner Social justice as a motivating force for recoveryWhy self-compassion won't make you "lazy"The messiness of being humanMentioned in the Episode: 📚Download your free Intuitive Eating Starter PackLeah episode on Abbie's podcast Are The Intuitive Eating Dietitians Alright?More From Abbie: Abb...
Tune in to hear 7 of my unpopular takes as an intuitive eating dietitian. Resources mentioned: How IE impacts metabolism and digestionYou're not wrong for desiring intentional weight lossRachel Hartley Episode on Gentle Nutrition More From Leah: Apply to The Embodied Method, my 1:1 coaching programJoin my self-paced course, The ReturnSubscribe to Leah's Youtube ChannelSubscribe to my personal SubstackFollow me on Instagram for more intuitive eating content @leahkern.rdVisit m...
In this episode we’ll explore whether you’re ACTUALLY giving yourself permission, or if you’re still mentally restricting... We’ll cover: mental restriction versus physical restrictionHow this manifests (client stories, personal stories, Alex o)Sneaky ways mental restriction can show upHow to move past mental restrictionMore From Leah: Apply to The Embodied Method, my 1:1 coaching programJoin my self-paced course, The ReturnSubscribe to Leah's Youtube ChannelSubscribe to my personal SubstackF...
In this episode, we unpack why seasonal wardrobe changes can trigger body shame, how to navigate the grief that comes with body changes, and tools to meet yourself with more compassion (and way less spiraling). More specifically, we’ll explore: Why the seasonal wardrobe switch can trigger body image distressA 6-step framework to navigate clothing that no longer fitsReal-life client tools for reframing body shamePractical tips to make the process less overwhelmingSupportive mindset shifts and ...
In this episode, I'm joined by eating disorder dietitian, podcaster, speaker, and writer, Julie Dillon. Julie's food and body story The origin of "finding your food voice"The 3 universal qualities of a food voice "Dear Food" letters and the value of personifying foodWhy weight loss won't "cure" PCOS Evidenced-based treatments for PCOS Resources Mentioned: Episode mentioning how research is just one way of knowing with Dr. Lizzy PopeMore From Leah: Apply to The Embodied Met...
In this episode I’m covering:: 12 reflections from 12 months off InstagramHow leaving IG relates to intuitive eating workThe many similarities between social media and diet cultureResources Mentioned: Why I’m leaving InstagramAre The Intuitive Eating Dietitians Alright? My Episode on Off The Grid More From Leah: Download your free Intuitive Eating Starter PackApply to The Embodied Method, my 1:1 coaching programJoin my self-paced course, The ReturnSubscribe to Leah's Youtube Channel...
In this solo episode, I reflect on 10 lessons I've learned in my 10 years as an intuitive eater. Resources Mentioned: Finding Pleasure in Movement with Hannah Husband: https://leahkernrd.com/finding-pleasure-in-movement-with-hannah-husband/Trader Joes Meal Ideas: https://leahkernrd.com/quick-trader-joes-meal-ideas-from-an-intuitive-eating-dietitan/Trader Joe's Snack Ideas: https://leahkernrd.com/easy-trader-joes-snacks-from-an-intuitive-eating-dietitian/More From Leah: Download your free Intu...
In this episode, I cover: What is cholesterolWhat is HDL, what is LDL, why is one often considered good and one badHow much does dietary cholesterol impct blood cholesterol levelsWhat are the components that contribute to cholesterol levelsWeight neutral, non-diet approaches to managingcholesterolIs your cholesterol your fault?Resources mentioned: SDOH blog post: https://leahkernrd.com/the-social-determinants-of-health-and-intuitive-eating/egg study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26864369/T...
In this solo episode, I cover . Why body trust mattersA story about my cats that related to body trustHow diet culture messes with body trust5 ways to rebuild body trustMore From Leah: Download your free Intuitive Eating Starter PackApply to The Embodied Method, my 1:1 coaching programJoin my self-paced course, The ReturnSubscribe to Leah's Youtube ChannelSubscribe to my personal SubstackFollow me on Instagram for more intuitive eating content @leahkern.rdVisit my website to learn more about ...
In this solo episode, Leah asks the question: If intuitive eating is about healing your relationship with food so your whole life doesn't have to be about food, what does it mean if you then go and make your whole life about food... She explores: How she came to ask this questionReflection on her personal evolution as a dietitian and (former) content creator on IGSome concerns about Intuitive eating content creators, and explore what I mean when she means when she says “are the intuitive eat...
In this episode, I'm joined by feminist writer, podcaster & producer, Amelia Hruby. Together we discuss: Amelia’s unconventional way into the anti-diet worldthe ways in which pursuing a philosophy PhD added to the “soup” of Amelia’s break up with diet cultureHow taking selfies helped Amelia heal her relationship with her bodyThe reason why Amelia desires self-love, not just self-acceptnaceHow leaving diet culture led amelia to leave social mediaThe ways in which social media and die...
In this episode, Leah covers: Why this “all-in” approach is doomed to fail (and why it’s not your fault!)Reminder about what constitutes a dietSome reflections questions as you think about setting food/ body/ health related goals for 2025the research on the sustainability of dietsA powerful client story Resources Mentioned: To view the research mentioned in the episode, download this free PDF guideAre You On A Diet Without Knowing It?More From Leah: Apply to The Embodied Method, my 1:1 coachi...
In the intuitive eating space, we often hear that weight loss isn’t the goal—and in many ways, that’s true. But there’s a nuance here that’s sometimes overlooked. It’s easy for the message to come across as judgment toward those who do desire intentional weight loss, and that’s not what I believe we should be doing. In this episode, we talk about: Whether or not you can do intuitive eating if you still desire weight lossHow to hold the desire for weight loss while working on your body imageW...
In this episode, we dive deep into the uncomfortable aftermath of a binge. If you’ve ever found yourself feeling regretful or sick from overeating, you're not alone. We cover: 5 things NOT to do after a binge and what to do insteadWhy shaming yourself harms you physiologicallyHow to treat yourself with self-compassion and curiosityGentle tools to help your body move through the uncomfortable aftermath of a bing Resources Mentioned: My Story (Unfiltered, The Whole Saga)...
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