My mother jokes I came out of the womb dancing. I am not joking when I say that my movement journey has literally introduced me to all the best parts of my life from friends to my career to my husband. In fact, movement is what introduced me to today’s incredible guest, and my dear friend, Babeth Schuring. When I started this podcast, I knew I would have her as a guest on this show at some point because she is such a powerful example of a woman who literally moves through live with grace & grit ...
Jul 28, 2017•38 min•Ep. 76
The Grace & Grit podcast is one of the small ways I feel I can contribute to helping mend the fabric of the collective female health story. One of the topics, I feel passionate in regards to this, is educating women about how to utilize strength training and movement practices to empower the relationship they have WITH their body. So, I am always on the hunt for guests who have missions aligned with that. Kirsty Grosart is an amazing woman, teacher and mover who helps others expand their movemen...
Jul 15, 2017•57 min•Ep. 75
Let’s face it, there is A LOT of information to navigate through when it comes to strategies and methods for improving health, maximizing performance, preventing injuries etc. Clearly, not all information coming at you is quality material and not all professionals in the health and wellness industries understand the complexities of the human body to the same extent. There are professionals you will meet along your health journey who just “get it” and you know you must learn more from them. Shant...
Jul 01, 2017•54 min•Ep. 74
There is no denying that the aging process poses some challenges to our physiology. I just turned 40 this year, and what my body needs at this stage of my life is a bit more complex than what it needed in my 20’s. Aging demands a new level of respect when it comes to how we care for our body so we can continue to engage with the things that light us up and make us feel fully alive. On today’s episode of the Grace & Grit Podcast, I have invited to the show, Betsy Ogden, who is a huge advocate of ...
Jun 24, 2017•45 min•Ep. 73
So often we embark on a change process because we get a hit of motivation so strong we feel compelled to take action… for a while. A few days, weeks or months pass, and, well…you know the drill… the spark that ignited our action starts to flicker out and resistance starts to rear her ugly head. We start descending the slippery slope of compromise and negotiation because we often fail to feed the motivational fire. As a coach, I can give my clients tools to uncover the driving force behind their ...
Jun 17, 2017•36 min•Ep. 72
“I have so much to do.” “I am so stressed.” “I don’t have time.” “I am overwhelmed.” Do any of those phrases sound familiar? I hear women using these phrases constantly as rational for why they can’t seem to take better care of themselves more consistently. And believe me…I get it. There was a time in my life that these phrases dominated nearly every conversation I had with another person. Until… I realized that I was never going to stop feeling these things unless I learned how to manage my tim...
Jun 10, 2017•46 min•Ep. 71
Deep health requires a deep level of self-respect. And, while many women may agree with that in theory, they often struggle with the application part. Treating yourself with consistent self-respect demands awareness, compassion, the willingness to make decisions that may go against the grain of cultural norms, the courage to set boundaries and the confidence to protect those boundaries. No small feat…to say the least. In this week’s episode of the Grace & Grit podcast I had the privilege of inte...
Jun 03, 2017•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 70
A few weeks ago I did a short little episode surrounding the pretty horrifying statistics on eating disorders and disordered eating in this country and around the world. What prompted me to look at the numbers was an article I came across titled, “Coming Out of the Anorexia Closet 25 Years later”. The article, written by a woman named Mia Lockhart, made my heart break a little, AND it also made me want do a victory dance for the courageous and strong woman that eventually came out on the other s...
May 27, 2017•44 min•Ep. 69
I am so deeply humbled by the caliber of women who have agreed to be on the Grace & Grit podcast over the past year, and today is certainly no exception. I have been following Stephanie Gaudreau’s career since early 2013 and have been cheering her on from afar ever since. I respect her as a business woman, a women’s health advocate and as a every day woman who isn’t shy about sharing her own personal struggles with food, exercise and body image to help and inspire others. Stephanie has a wildly ...
May 16, 2017•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 68
The health and wellness industry is the ONLY profession I have ever known, because, quite frankly, I love it that much. I have been inspired and educated by some incredibly remarkable women over my career (many of whom have been featured as guests on this show) and today I have the privilege of hosting someone who I absolutely would call one of my role models, Krista Scott Dixon . Krista has her PHD in Women’s Studies, has been teaching and coaching for more than 20 years, she has authored sever...
May 13, 2017•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 67
Preparing for an upcoming podcast guest, I was horrified by the numbers surrounding eating disorders and disordered eating within the US. Having worked with women for nearly two decades to better their relationship with their body, I knew there was a problem, but the statistics I came across broke my heart. We have a problem with how women perceive their bodies and the crazy things they do in an attempt to keep themselves small. If we are going to change the conversation around what it means to ...
May 06, 2017•25 min•Ep. 66
Clearly, I invite guests to the show who can provide value to this audience on the topic of women’s health, I am also very intent on inviting guests who also exemplify what it means to be a woman of Grace & Grit. Today, I could not be more thrilled to be hosting, Doctor of Physical Therapy and movement enthusiast Jen Esquer. Jen treats patients privately in the Los Angeles area but educates people all over the world through her social media channels on how to live an active and healthy lifestyle...
Apr 29, 2017•43 min•Ep. 65
I am not sure I can fully express in words how excited I am about today’s guest on the show. I have been following Andrea Beaman for years and I truly feel she is a wellness professional that all women should know. I was initially introduced to Andrea through some conversations I was having with other health practitioners in regards to thyroid and adrenal health. And although Andrea does specialize in these topics, she truly is just a wealth of knowledge when it comes to preventing dis-ease and ...
Apr 22, 2017•44 min•Ep. 64
My recent conversation with clinical nutritionist Stephanie Dodier is filled with so much goodness! If you love a good transformation story… If you like REAL talk around what it takes to reclaim and sustain health… If you are curious to hear the thoughts of a clinical nutritionist about ketogenic diets… Do not miss this episode of the Grace & Grit podcast! Stephanie has a special talent for breaking down complex concepts into simple, memorable messages, always delivered with humor and empathy fo...
Apr 15, 2017•44 min•Ep. 63
If you are a woman, do not miss this episode! Julie Wiebe, an LA based physical therapist with over twenty years of clinical experience in both Sports Medicine and Women’s Health, is committed to revolutionizing the way women recover from pregnancy and return to high levels of fitness. And… she has pioneered an integrative approach to promote women’s health in and through fitness. As we discuss on the podcast, pelvic health challenges are not just exclusive to women who have been pregnant. As a ...
Apr 08, 2017•54 min•Ep. 62
I have one of my favorite people on the show today, Laini Gray. I have known Laini for almost a decade and I appreciate everything about her. Laini has a rare ability to take complicated issues and explain them in simple terms all while keeping things fun (cuz let’s face it topics like fat loss and hormonal chemistry can get a bit mind-numbing). She has been in the health/wellness industry for over 20 years…you name it and she has probably done it. She started her career with a Bachelors degree ...
Apr 01, 2017•39 min•Ep. 61
“Healthy by choice, not by chance.” That is the motto of my guest, Dr. Liz Walker, who is featured as a guest on today’s episode of the Grace & Grit Podcast. I freaking love that and couldn’t agree more. Liz Walker is a chiropractor here in Missoula, MT and she is a health professional who absolutely walks her talk and understands that there are a lot of facets to the health equation. She and her husband own a very popular CrossFit facility here in Missoula, and she is also the owner and primary...
Mar 25, 2017•47 min•Ep. 60
I have to admit that I don’t follow a ton of female trainers online because I have a beef with the message a lot of trainers and health coaches are selling to women. If you are a regular listener of this show, you are well aware that I loathe quick fix tactics, supplement pushing, radical detoxes and the like. The trainers and coaches I adore are the ones who are preaching slow and steady, sensible habit change with their clients, who don’t skirt the fact that there is a lot of work involved in ...
Mar 18, 2017•45 min•Ep. 59
It is interesting that we are living at a time when there are more exercise programs and extreme dieting tactics on the market than ever before AND obesity rates and disease are at an all time high. We have made exercise programming and the simple act of eating SO complicated, that many women have a fierce resistance to getting started. But here is the truth…. The things that are going to make you healthy are really quite simple. Today’s podcast episode focuses on 13 of the most powerful things ...
Mar 11, 2017•33 min•Ep. 58
Man, I have worked with a ton of clients over the years who want to elevate the state of their health without honoring their body’s need for adequate restoration and recovery. And it simply doesn’t work…ever. Recovery should NOT be underestimated when it comes to improving the health of your body. If you are expecting more from your body (more energy, more strength, more endurance, more performance, more fat loss, more muscle) you are going to have to RESPECT the fact that your body will need MO...
Mar 04, 2017•28 min•Ep. 57
There are two things that are absolutely essential to any transformation process (yeah, I know… I talk about them a lot because I believe in them THAT MUCH): 1. Awareness 2. Consistent Action Last week, Mary O’Malley and I had a great conversation on the podcast about what it takes to stay awake in your life, so you can change habits that are not serving you into ones that do. This week’s podcast is all about the second point: consistent action. There is a lot of talk these days about changing o...
Feb 25, 2017•25 min•Ep. 56
The longer I am in the profession of helping women to improve their health, the more I am convinced that improving health boils down to awareness and consistency. Before we can change anything about our health, we must be aware of the things we are doing to either nourish or deplete our health. But honestly we are living in such a frenetic time, most women are so busy, they are reacting to life with habits that don’t serve their health rather than choosing to respond to life in a healthy fashion...
Feb 18, 2017•48 min•Ep. 55
I don’t know about you, but I grew up clinging to the myth that once a woman turned 40, life would be over (the black balloons at my mother’s 40th birthday made quite an impression apparently). And having turned 40 myself a week ago, I have to say my experience has taught me something quite different: Life is really stinking good at 40 . Unfortunately, our media culture cultivates a lot of fear around aging for a woman. Aging gracefully and optimistically, I believe, has a lot to do with the lev...
Feb 11, 2017•28 min•Ep. 54
We are now a full month into 2017 and I am curious how you are doing with your intentions to take better care of yourself this year? I know many women charged into the New Year vowing to themselves that this year would be different; this year they will put their self-care at the top of their to-do list. A few weeks in many of these same women are recognizing that making themselves a priority is not as easy as it sounds. It means you have to make time and room in your schedule for yourself. And… ...
Feb 04, 2017•41 min•Ep. 53
Last week on the podcast I told you about the 1 thing you can remove from your diet to radically improve your health and happiness levels. That thing? Refined sugar. This week on the podcast I talk about the 1 thing to ADD to your diet to dramatically improve your overall wellbeing. That thing? More vegetables. If you don’t eat many veggies (a lot of people say they do, but they don’t) and you are looking for some inspiration, tips and tricks to eat more, check out this week’s podcast which is a...
Jan 21, 2017•32 min•Ep. 52
This is the time of year people are looking for the quick fixes that can unravel the damage they did over the past few months. And we are being honest about it, people are really looking for the quick fixes that will unravel not just a few months but years (even decades) of neglecting their health. If you know anything about the message and mission of Grace & Grit, you know I can’t stand the notion of quick fixes, mainly because habit change takes time (and quick fixes are short on time). That b...
Jan 14, 2017•28 min•Ep. 51
A New Year is dawning, which for many women is a popular time to set or recommit to goals. Unfortunately, when it comes to health goals, many women are thinking too small…literally. Far too many health goals are based on aesthetics alone specifically, ones revolving around weight loss, which doesn’t create a ton of traction in the motivation department (at least not traction that extends beyond a few weeks). In this week’s podcast, I dish out some “food for thought” when it comes to establishing...
Dec 31, 2016•21 min•Ep. 50
It may sound strange but a common thread I have witnessed (and personally experienced) with women who are trying to reclaim their health, is that they often struggle to allow happiness to enter fully into their life. Women seem to be really good at sabotaging the “feel good” in their life in one of two ways: They are more focused on doing than being; often maintaining schedules that are so busy, they simply do not have the time or awareness to feel happiness. They have limiting beliefs around ho...
Dec 24, 2016•23 min•Ep. 49
Many women have a tremendous amount of resistance around exercising regularly, and I think there are two primary reasons for this: #1: The diet and fitness culture has made exercise VERY difficult to navigate #2: Many women solely exercise as a way to maintain or lose weight. What if you started viewing exercise as a way of respecting your body’s nutritional needs rather than as a way to force your body into submission? This episode of the podcast introduces the reasons we should really be givin...
Dec 17, 2016•26 min•Ep. 48
I am currently in the throws of teaching a new program this year that is really geared towards helping women maintain a high level of self-care during the holidays, and it is really something I should have started years ago. I was compelled to start this program because, every year during the holidays, I see women struggling more than any other time of the year to maintain their health standards. They start putting their own self-care on the back burner to keep up with the demands of the season....
Dec 10, 2016•36 min•Ep. 47
