In this bonus solo episode, Les is answering listener questions on everything from food, to fitness, to hair care, to racism in the wellness space. Questions include: What have been your experiences as a Balanced Black Girl doing outdoor activities (hiking, skiing, etc.)? What are some of your favorite breakfast/lunch/dinner options? What does your wash and go hair routine look like? How did you become comfortable talking about difficult subjects? and more! If you like this episode, please leave...
Dec 25, 2018•38 min•Ep. 322
Today, we’re talking to Dr. Pragati Gusmano, Florida-Based Functional Medicine Doctor and founder of Happy and Well. Dr. Pragati offers her patients an alternative perspective on conventional healthcare and her approach emphasizes identifying the root cause of illness, eliminating nutritional deficiencies and the preventing disease and illness through diet and lifestyle modifications. She was inspired to study Functional Medicine because she wanted to find a way of healthcare that really took a ...
Dec 18, 2018•38 min•Ep. 303
Today, we’re talking to Bri Braggs, the founder of Fertile Alchemy . Bri is a Certified Holistic Health Coach who is passionate about educating women on the importance of preconception health and create a new narrative around their fertility. Bri helps her clients take charge of their fertility and hormonal health, and helps women live more conscious, holistic lifestyles in an approachable, doable way. She has also developed her own Aromatic Oil (make sure you shoot Bri a DM @FertileAlchemy lett...
Dec 11, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 311
Today, we’re talking to Falesha Johnson. Falesha is a former professional track athlete turned empowerment speaker, speed and agility coach, and philanthropic adviser. Inspired by her personal love of track and field, Falesha saw a need for young athletes in her area to focus on speed and agility training. She then built her athletic training company Felite Performance, to help fill this void. She strongly believes that track and field have embedded characteristics in her such as resilience, ada...
Dec 04, 2018•52 min•Ep. 306
Today, we’re talking to Abiola Akanni, of Yoga by Biola. Abiola is a wellness entrepreneur best known for the Divine Feminine Workshop, and her unique yoga format Trap Vinyasa: A Body Positive Yoga Experience. Her yoga journey started 10 years ago after a bad drug habit and scoliosis diagnosis. Once she began applying yogic philosophy to her life she created a process of self-examination called the 5 self healing benefits of yoga in order to identify areas of growth. Currently, Abiola is focused...
Nov 27, 2018•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 324
Today, we’re talking to Ashley McGirt, MSW, Licensed Mental Health Therapist and founder of Ashley McGirt Counseling Services. Ashley is an accomplished speaker, author, hospice therapist, and entrepreneur running her own private therapy practice. Ashley specializes in helping individuals through racial trauma, grief and loss, and navigating anxiety and depression. In her practice, she uses a holistic and interactive- multicultural approach that focuses on the needs of people of color. Her inter...
Nov 20, 2018•51 min•Ep. 302
Today, we’re talking to fitness coach Allison Tenney. Allison is known for her online fitness training programs and for founding the Ignited Womxn Summit , an annual wellness and leadership event that creates a space for learning through an inclusive lens. Over the past two years, Allison has really dug into understanding the importance of diversity, inclusion, and intersectional feminism both within and beyond the fitness space. It all started after her first Ignited Womxn event that she held o...
Nov 13, 2018•49 min•Ep. 305
In this episode, Balanced Black Girl Founder Lestraundra Alfred sits down with Brittany Love, Seattle-based health coach, personal trainer, and cycling instructor. Brittany has had a wide range of experiences in the world of fitness. From discovering fitness in her early 20’s, to competing in bodybuilding competitions, to becoming a trainer and helping her clients build self-confidence and create balance, Brittany shares valuable insight on what it’s like to be a woman of color in the fitness in...
Nov 05, 2018•54 min•Ep. 315
"You're pretty, for a black girl." A back-handed compliment at best, these types of comments are often said to women of color. In this solo episode, Lestraundra is breaking down why this "compliment" is anything but, why our society's narrow definition of beauty needs to change, and ways we can all create inclusive definitions of beauty for ourselves. Whether you are a woman of color who is tired of being told you're pretty for a "____" (not true - you're just plain pretty), or you want to learn...
Oct 29, 2018•28 min•Ep. 319
Chrissy King is a Milwaukee-based ISSA Certified Personal Trainer, lifestyle coach, fitness blogger, and truth-teller. While on her own fitness journey, Chrissy was introduced to strength training and powerlifting, which helped her build confidence and inner strength. Chrissy shows her clients that fat loss and weight management don’t have to be cumbersome or restrictive. She also encourages women to love their body in every stage, regardless of size or body fat percentage. In this episode, Chri...
Oct 22, 2018•52 min•Ep. 306
Ever walk into the gym or a fitness studio and instantly feel overwhelmed? This episode will help you get past that feeling. Tune in for 8 simple, actionable tips to help you feel more confident working out in public no matter your fitness level. Our Sponsors: * Check out Babbel: http://babbel.com/balanced Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/balanced-black-girl/donations See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-...
Oct 17, 2018•23 min•Ep. 300
In this episode, we discuss the online wellness space's diversity problem, why representation is important for everyone, and ways we can all make the wellness space more inclusive and representative for all. Some Great Wellness WOC to Follow (not an exhaustive list! I'm sure I'm missing some great people) @iamchrissyking negharfonooni yogabybiola @falesha11 @curvycurl @tach.j @fertilealchemy @tiffanyima @yoliouiya @foodheavenshow Our Sponsors: * Check out Babbel: http://babbel.com/balanced Suppo...
Oct 17, 2018•29 min•Ep. 318
Welcome to the Balanced Black Girl Podcast - a show dedicated to reimagining health, wellness, and self-care for women of color. In the very first episode, I (Les, your host) am introducing myself and am giving you the tea about the evolution from The Balanced Berry to Balanced Black Girl. Thanks for listening! xo Our Sponsors: * Check out Babbel: http://babbel.com/balanced Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/balanced-black-girl/donations See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priva...
Oct 13, 2018•19 min•Ep. 299
