Fuel Your Strength

Life, as we know it, has changed and our creative expression has changed as well. Instead of focusing on self-actualization, many are turning to the powers of community, collective, and creativity in order to heal and step into alignment. Rai Henry is a personal coach who is passionate about helping others reignite their creativity, and step out of the hustle and into the flow. Being Intentional About Your Life, Business, & Values While you may not consider yourself a 'creative', Rai believes that anyone who is tapping into a part of themselves in order to express it to others fits into the creative mold. By being intentional about your life, business and values, Rai helps others show up in a way that aligns with your DNA, or Divine Natural Approach. Through deliberate work, you can recognize the blocks in your life and learn how to flow through them. Rai wants to get to know you and open you up to the limitless possibilities that are waiting for you. By focusing on your own personal responsibility you can look inside to achieve better flow, heal from trauma, and start living your life by design. Are you ready to use your creative expression as a tool for healing, aligning, and thriving? Share what you loved most about Rai's unique and refreshing perspective with us in the comments on the episode page. In This Episode Discover what it means to be creative and make an impact aligned with your vision (11:15) Why the individual self-actualization approach is being replaced with the collective (18:20) How to experience the energy of creativity and flow and recognize your blocks (20:30) Tips for expanding your view of abundance and co-creation within your tribe (24:50) How to give yourself permission to thrive after trauma and learn to trust yourself (28:08) Quotes "That's really what I am here to do. Help people show up in the world, have an impact, but really find their true values along the way." (10:07) "In a time like today where the world is going through such revolution and transformation, it can be very easy to feel like you are doing it alone, when truly we are doing it as a collective." (17:21)"Were shifting from that individual model, and the only way to do that is to be transparent, to be vulnerable, and to be open about what you are experiencing so that you can connect to your community or your tribe and grow beyond your own limitations." (19:59) "I didn't have any of the guidance, I didn't have any kind of blueprint or framework to work from. But I forged it myself, along with spirit guiding me and the beautiful, what I call messengers, that showed up at different phases of my life. And I have charted that process, and I have taken note of what those key factors were, and I have applied them to the principles of your heroes' journey, and that is the framework for the work that I am doing right now." (34:27) "We are all on one journey, but there are infinite possibilities. So it is so important to remember it is absolutely up to you to choose the flow that works for you. Choose your flow by unlocking that potential and being intentional and deliberate about the life that you want to live, or the business that you want to create." (37:00) Links Follow Rai on Instagram Create, Collab + Flow Website Sponsor a Scholarship for BIPOC Creatives Join the Listen To Your Body Newsletter Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

Intuitive eating is not just a list of rules that will tell you what to do and what not to do. While that may sound scary, intuitive eating will give you entry points of investigation so that you can begin to implement new things and get more in touch with yourself. Although it is often very different than what people expect it to be, intuitive eating can be transformative if you prepare yourself with the knowledge you need before diving in. This is why I have created a series all about the 10 Intuitive Eating Principles you need to know before getting started. Many People Are Ignoring The Cries Of Our Bodies Intuitive eating principle number two is all about learning how to sense and honor your hunger. By building skills such as heightening your awareness within your body, learning how to dismantle diet culture and the systems of oppression it feeds into you can return to trusting that your body signals are not trying to fuck you over. Many people are ignoring the cries of our bodies because diet culture has taught us to distrust our bodies. Today I urge you to stop listening to them and start listening to what is right for your body so that you can embrace your body's own innate wisdom and signals. Hunger can show up in so many different ways, and it is only by becoming aware of your own unique hunger whispers that you can take the next step in your intuitive eating journey. Are you ready to find greater peace with food and honor your hunger? Share what you struggle with most about intuitive eating principle two and how you are working to heal it in the comments on the episode page. In This Episode How to build your own interoceptive awareness around feeling hungry (8:10) Why intuitive eating is not just listening to your body to know when to eat (11:03) The four things you need to know about honoring your sense of hunger (12:05) Understanding your biological drive for energy and how to stop overriding it (18:08) Tips for catching your hunger at a whisper before it turns into a shout (23:13) Quotes "Beginning to implement intuitive eating in your life to find more peace with food, to be able to eat the foods you enjoy without feeling guilty, to allow yourself to experience that, and to move away from the extremes that I know you are tired of." (4:33) "Hunger is one of your bodies signals, it is a natural body signal. And if you can sense your hunger, that is a very good thing. That means there is a connection, an open line of communication, between you and your body. It is not something to fear, it is something to be grateful for." (8:40) "Diet culture is not stopping, and it is certainly not stopping for a fucking pandemic, its not stopping because we are in social isolation, if anything its getting louder, and its getting louder in certain ways as it strives to stay relevant. We are consistently confronted with this stuff, so we can't just lock ourselves away." (13:41) "When you withhold and restrict your food intake, your body compensates by increasing your drive and desire to eat, while also oftentimes decreasing your desire to move." (22:16) "This is where it is really important to get clear about your personal body signals that you notice when your hunger starts to creep up on you." (24:14) Links Join the Listen To Your Body Newsletter LTYB 275: The Anti-Diet Approach to Eating with Evelyn Tribole LTYB 266: How To Listen To Your Body with Steph Gaudreau LTYB 284: How Neuroscience Can Help You Listen To Your Body Alyssa Chang Intuitive Eating: Why Hunger Isn't Your Only Cue Blog Post Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

Today I am kicking off a new 10 part series all about the principles of intuitive eating. Not only will I be rehashing the principles, but I will also be taking a deep dive into the implementation of these principles so that you can start applying them into your own life. First up are the four things you need to know in order to implement principle one of intuitive eating, also known as ditching the diet mentality. Stop Blaming Yourself & Start Implementing These Principles If you want to do the work and embrace the idea of rejecting the diet mentality and ditching dieting, this is an episode you cannot miss. It takes both internal cues and external health frameworks to help you avoid being in food jail and find a more peaceful way of eating. By getting clear of your past history with dieting and what it has cost you, and providing yourself with compassion, you can stop blaming yourself and start implementing these principles. As a society, we are not acknowledging the downsides and risks of dieting and restriction. Intuitive eating can help you get clear on what you want your relationship of food to look like based entirely on what is right for your body. You are not a failure, it is the systematic oppression built into diet culture that is to blame. Are you ready to stand up and stop being controlled by diet culture? Share how you are making peace with your history of diet culture and how you want to move forward with us in the comments section of the episode page. In This Episode Learn about the ten principles of intuitive eating and how to engage with them (4:22) Why principle one can cause cognitive dissonance and how to make it real for you (6:50) Tips for rejecting the diet mentality and staying true to that decision (10:04) The downsides of dieting and restrictions and how to open your eyes to it (15:30) How to avoid being overwhelmed by the first intuitive eating principle (23:06) Quotes "I am putting my focus and attention on things like facilitating intuitive eating for you, helping you find more peace with food and your body, helping you end the exhaustion around these things, and helping you get to a place that is more ease filled and less of a battle." (3:08) "This is an unlearning and learning, this is not something we are going to do in a day. And it's not something we can do by just reading it in theory, it is a practice. It is a living breathing practice because you are a living breathing human being." (8:47) "You don't know what you don't know, and you probably didn't know about what diet culture is until very recently, and that's okay. We have to have that forgiveness for ourselves and that compassion for ourselves." (13:35) "It's not a lack of willpower that has gotten you to this point. It is not a lack of willpower that means you have struggled with maintaining a diet in the past. There is a lot here to have care and kindness and compassion for yourself about." (22:51) "You are not the failure. Diet culture as a system of oppression is the failure." (24:05) Links Join the Listen To Your Body Newsletter LTYB 287: Top 5 Things To Know Before You Start Intuitive Eating LTYB 273: Opting Out Of Diet Culture with Naomi Katz Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

Intuitive eating is not an invitation to binge eat junk food, nor is it a restrictive diet. Intuitive eating is a practice and pursuit that is rooted deeply within all of us, but something that many of us have forgotten over time thanks to societal norms and diet culture. This episode is all about inviting you to discover intuitive eating as a lifestyle framework and prepare you for the new mindset ahead. Finding A More Peaceful Relationship With Food & Your Body If you are sick and tired of being obsessed with food and your body, are afraid or unsure of how to start intuitive eating, or maybe need a reality check on your expectations when it comes to intuitive eating, this is the episode for you. Answering many of the questions I get all of the time in response to this topic, today I am here on a solo episode to help you start on the action of transformation in your life. Everything you need to know before returning to intuitive eating as a practice and pursuit is jam-packed into this episode so that you can get a better idea of what you are getting yourself into, and the diet culture you are getting away from. I am here to defend your mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical wellbeing, and I truly believe that the pervasive and judgemental diet culture that society has told us we need to follow is a detriment to all of the realms of your health. It may take time, but finding a more peaceful relationship with food and your body, getting over your obsession, and having the time and energy to apply yourself to things you enjoy doing is so worth the time and effort. It only takes small, incremental steps to start to see a world of difference in the way you view yourself, others, and the world around you. How do you feel about intuitive eating? Share your experience with me in the comments section of the episode page. In This Episode How to break free from diet culture and how it impacts how you view your body (11:05) Tips for tuning into your inner signals to discover the foods that you actually like (14:18) Learn about the 10 core principles of intuitive eating as a lifestyle framework (18:50) Why intuitive eating is hard at the beginning but gets easier as you go (21:04) What to do if you want to gain clarity around what is truly important to you (28:05) Quotes "Our default nature is as intuitive eaters, so when I say 'what you need to know before you start intuitive eating', it just really is a bit of a hat tip to the fact that somewhere along the way the vast majority of you, including myself, have lost touch with our inner intuitive eater." (11:03) "There is a common perception that intuitive eating is the polar opposite of dieting, which is very restricted and very regimented. And that is false." (13:48) "Intuitive eating as a named framework has 10 principles. And they all overlap and they are all designed to help you repair your relationship with food and your body." (19:00) "Intuitive eating and dieting are very different. A diet starts off easy and gets harder as you go. Intuitive eating starts off harder and gets easier as you go. They are very different paradigms." (21:59) "It's okay that it is going to take time, you are worth it! Finding a more peaceful relationship with food and your body, getting off the crazy obsession with food and your body, having the time and energy to do other stuff, and care about other things is life-changing. It's worth doing the work, it is worth the time it is going to take." (31:51) Links Join the Listen To Your Body Newsletter Follow Steph on Instagram Three Steps to Ditching Food Guilt Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

Today I'm sharing some thoughts on why anti-racism awareness and work is essential in the health space if we're to see our clients and community fully. Let me be super clear: Black Lives Matter. I'm not an anti-racism expert or educator. On this show, I'll flesh out what I think my role in the intuitive eating world is and share a couple of the ways I'm planning move forward in my journey toward building a more anti-racist podcast and business.

Have you ever felt like you are not enough? Bonnie Gillespie is the guru in Hollywood for self-management and is here today to help you start owning your enoughness. Bonnie had dreams of becoming a Hollywood actress, but when she got an assignment to pull back the curtain on Hollywood and gain some insider knowledge, she realized it takes a lot more than a perfect monologue to become successful in show biz. After writing her book, Self Management for Actors, Bonnie decided to work beyond her current industry so that she could help anyone learn why they are enough. Show up as Your Authentic Self & Focus on the Long Game The paradox of self-worth and enoughness is something that many of us struggle with, and it is only by showing up as your authentic self, discovering what it is you want, and learning how to trust that you can stop outsourcing your enoughness. Currently we are dealing with the loss of many conveniences and distractions that we often use to draw our energy away from examining our life choices. Bonnie is here today to help guide you to a positive way of thinking that will help you focus on the people who are already on board for you are, instead of trying to convince others of your worthiness. Instead of changing who you are to fit the circumstance, Bonnie wants you to show up as your authentic self and focus on the long game so that you can 'book the room'. Full of inherent wisdom and practical advice, this is an episode you do not want to miss. Are you ready to create a life that is designed for you? Share what you loved most about Bonnie's story with us in the comments on the episode page. In This Episode Tips for assessing your enoughness in the digital area (11:00) Why you need to start showing up as your authentic self (19:15) What it looks like to outsource your enoughness and how to take it back (23:23) Practical ways to get deeper and learn how to use your trust muscle (28:35) How to get curious about what your body is trying to teach you (31:50) Quotes "If I can help a generation of people who get rejected for a living feel as though I am enough, and there is nothing I need to change. I am as I am exactly where I need to be and who I need to be and having the experiences that I need to have, that's something that I want to bring to more people." (9:40) "The way we fix that is by always looking at the big picture. How do I add to my fan base by making the way I show up be authentic and true to the way I am and the message that I want to put out in the world?" (19:52) "If instead, we put our energy on how to serve the third of the population that is already on board for exactly who I am and what I am effortlessly, we can have massive success. But we spend so much energy looking at how we can convert people who were never into us to begin with." (22:17) "What we are seeing happening right now, is so many people have lost the conveniences and the little things they could fill their life and time with that distracted them from the fact that they have actually made a series of life choices that aren't their own." (26:10) "It doesn't take very long to build that trust back to the point where we can actually listen to our bodies, listen to our guts, listen to those spidey senses that start tingling, in ways that allow our road to be a lot more collaborative." (32:38) Links Self-Management For Actors by Bonnie Gillespie Bonnie Gillespie Website Follow Bonnie on Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook Join the Listen To Your Body Newsletter Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

Have you ever thought about the connection between becoming more aligned with your body through the understanding of how your brain is working and interpreting information? Alyssa Chang is a brain-based health and movement coach who is here today to open up a completely new doorway for you to gain awareness, clarity, and insight into the things you have been dealing with. Bridging The Gap Between Your Brain & Your Body Alyssa views neurology and neuroplasticity as the science of hope and is here to explore a different take on so many of the things that you may be dealing with on a regular basis. Unresolved trauma, chronic pain, how you experience hunger and so much more can be connected back to your brain. By becoming aware of how your body incorporates these signals, you can get clear on your specific symptoms so that you can listen to your body better. Through the creation of movement therapy options, you can strengthen the signals from your brain and tap into your interoceptive awareness. If you want to find out how strengthening your eye muscles could help you gain more expansive movement, are looking for practical ways to start listening to your body, or just want to gain an understanding on a topic that you may never have heard about before, this is an episode you truly cannot miss. An incredibly fascinating episode all about bridging the gap between your brain and your body, Alyssa wants to help you become an expert in your body. Are you ready to become a scientist of movement, food, and mindset so that you can open up the conversation of neuroplasticity inside your body? Share which piece of new information blew your mind with us in the comments on the episode page. In This Episode How to experience hunger by replacing judgment and shame with curiosity (11:55) What to do if you are struggling with intuition and listening to your body (16:10) Why moving your eyes could improve your other movement options (18:45) Exercises that you can try to get your eyes moving off your screen (23:07) Learn about a brain-based perspective when it comes to carbohydrates (29:40) Signs to watch out for to avoid overcorrections while removing blame (33:10) Quotes "When people hear the brain, they often mix it up with mindset. My methodology is actually looking at the neuroscience work. Who we are, our symptoms, everything we have felt, how we behave, they are all manifestations of brain health." (7:18) "If you can lean into being this curious scientist over your body and really understanding that everything you experience, every symptom is your body and your brain's way of communicating to you, it's like extremely powerful." (11:53) "All we are doing is specifically targeting the visual field of the nervous system to open up that movement map, that sensory map, to allow their brain to reconnect to and then tie the other movement options you have." (22:11) "The feelings that you have are valid, and if we can link it back to health history or through some brain-based movement assessments, we can help heal you and help get you better. But we have to know what part of your nervous system may be impacted." (27:56) "I always use the phrase 'how can I help you become a movement scientist? A food scientist? A mindset scientist?'. Where you are just exploring everything that is going on in your body and in your brain and then gathering all that data and then understanding it, putting the pieces together." (33:51) Links Alyssa Chang Website Follow Alyssa on Instagram Better Expert 12-Week Training Course Waitlist LTYB 282: Michelle Shapiro Join the Listen To Your Body Newsletter Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

While stress is not inherently a bad thing, the amount of stress and change we are experiencing during this pandemic can be cause for concern. This is why I have brought stress detox expert Ritu Riyat onto the show. Today Ritu is here to give us a deep dive into understanding what stress truly is, and how you can use her stress detox framework to peel back the layers and discover where your secret stress is hidden. Understanding The Subtle Signs Of Burnout By asking yourself what you can do in a moment of stress to feel in control, you can create a routine that calms your mind and helps you adapt to this constant state of change. In addition to her practical tips for becoming more self-aware and her knowledge around the understanding of the subtle signs of burnout, Ritu will also walk us through a short meditation practice in this episode to help you manage your stress in a more productive manner. If you want to gain a conceptual framework to understand stress, understand self-awareness and implement practical ways to examine if meditation is right for you and to find a way for the practice to benefit you, this is an episode you can't miss. While meditation may not be for everyone, it is all about digging into how you are feeling right now so that you can do something about it. What did you learn in this episode? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section on our episode page. In This Episode How to detox your life from stress during the current pandemic (8:14) Learn about the stress detox framework and how to develop self-awareness (13:05) Subtle signs that may indicate that you are going from eustress to burnout (17:32) The four best self-reflection questions to help you check in with yourself (23:12) Join in on a meditation practice and learn alternative meditation activities to try (25:35) Quotes "That became the framework of the stress detox program that I created, which is deeply rooted in awareness. So developing your self-awareness and your own personal response to stress." (11:15) "It's not that we're trying to eliminate stress from our life, what we're really trying to do is recognize where we are on the stress spectrum. And when were approaching distress, that's when we apply our tools to take a pause and bring ourselves down that spectrum back into eustress or maybe a state of calm." (16:19) "Its extremely important right now in this current pandemic that we're experiencing, because people's feelings are all over the place, and everyone is dealing with it differently. And however, you are dealing with it is okay. And however, you are feeling at this moment is okay." (21:35) "It teaches us and it builds our resilience because you become more accepting of change because change is constant. And so you are not as reactive to the change that is occurring outside, because you have become familiar with working with change inside your body." (32:42) "When things seem so uncertain as they are right now in our world, I encourage you to go back to what you can control." (35:12) Links Ritu Riyat Website Stress Detox Udemy Course 5 Minute Mind Program Follow Ritu on Facebook | Instagram Join the Listen To Your Body Newsletter Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

Do you struggle with navigating the middle ground between functional nutrition and the anti-diet movement? Michelle Shapiro is a registered dietitian who is on a mission to support the common good by helping others understand a blended approach to food and your body. Never afraid to get into a debate, Michelle has devoted her life to a safe way for people to apply the incredible principles of functional healing to the paradigm of body neutral loving and ethical body treatment. Rejecting The Body Notions That Don't Stick With You If you are struggling to understand the polar ends of the spectrum and are searching for answers when it comes to approaching intuitive eating for your specific life experiences, Michelle is here to open up the conversation. By not being afraid to challenge people or put herself in an uncomfortable position, Michelle is accomplishing her mission one skeptic at a time. Michelle wants you to tolerate the discomfort that you feel and sit with yourself to better understand what your body needs. By questioning everyone except for yourself, you can check in with yourself deeply and honestly to find the possibility of miraculous healing. There is always something that you can do to make yourself feel better, and Michelle is here to provide you with a message of hope and healing during these difficult times. On a mission to help others be seen, remove judgment, and embracing health changes, this is an episode you don't want to miss. Are you ready to start rejecting the body notions that don't stick with you and embracing the ones that do? Share where you sit on the spectrum with us in the comments section of the episode page. In This Episode Learn the benefits of gravitating towards a blended approach of understanding (9:35) Discover what you should be tuning your awareness into and away from (14:14) Why you should approach intuitive eating from your specific life experiences (19:25) How to listen and tune into your body from a middle ground of functional nutrition (24:20) Why you should listen to your gut when selecting a healthcare professional (25:33) Quotes "If I feel like something threatens people, whether it be diet culture, whether it be something like big pharma, I am very willing and eager to put myself in an awkward position if there is even a potential that someone else might feel seen or heard." (8:27) "When you're handing someone sort of restrictive plan, you need to be extremely highly sensitive to the person you are working with to understand what they might have gone through to get to that point." (18:08) "I actually affect change by talking to people who would be the most anti-whatever I am talking about at the highest level, and who might have more influence too." (21:15) "Anyone can do what we do, you really can learn to do what we do. Sure we are special in some ways, but I'm not more exemplary than any other person applying the same principles that I use. Anyone can do what we do." (26:36) "Check in with yourself so deeply and so honestly, without judgment, without ego, without anything, and just really get to know where you are at. And in doing that you will know if you need additional help or if you are the help that you need." (32:45) Links Michelle Shapiro Website Follow Michelle on Instagram Quiet The Diet Program Anxiety Proof Program Follow Steph on Instagram HTK 247: Staying Human In A Fucked Up World with Tim Desmond Join the Listen To Your Body Newsletter Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

Have you ever felt like you are only participating in a movement practice because you 'should' be doing so? Creating a movement practice is critical to honoring your physical vessel and nourishing your body, but it can come with its fair share of obstacles. Steph Ondrusek is a strength coach who believes in the importance of creating an intuitive movement practice unique to your body and your needs so that you can start relishing in your body's potential. Because if you aren't enjoying what you are doing, what's the point? Stop Beating Yourself Up & Find Where You Are Now Don't just move for the sake of doing it or because someone told you too, the challenge and feeling of accomplishment you can gain from intuitive movement can help you enjoy what your body is capable of in a whole new way. By pursuing your strength or fitness goals with a new attitude, you can stop beating yourself up and find where you are now. Steph is all about looking at the big picture and self-exploration so that you can love yourself and your body wherever you're currently at. Instinct, emotion, and rational thinking are the basis of your intuition, and through intuitive movement, you can tune in, listen to your body and embrace that you are so much more than just what you do. How do you use intuitive movement to nurture and nourish your daily routine? Share your experience and thoughts on Steph's expertise with us in the comment section on the episode page. In This Episode Why diet culture interrupts your trust in yourself when it comes to movement (6:40) Ways to help yourself clue into your actual goals and avoid the 'shoulds' (10:35) How to set performance metrics while avoiding obsessing about aesthetic (18:53) Tips for embracing movement without viewing it as a competition or comparison (20:12) What to do when you feel disoriented and have to modify your movement routine (26:27) The top helpful ways to become more intuitive with your movement practice (32:15) Quotes "If actually the goal is not the goal, if the goal is different from what I thought it was, which is actually to feel connected and strong and accomplished, and it's not going to come necessarily just because I hit some fitness goal, what do I do?" (9:49) "I've had several people in the past week be like 'when does it end? When does this end?' and I'm like, well some of this can end whenever you want it too." (12:00) "Really asking the question, backing up a lot and saying 'what am I chasing? What am I getting out of this and what do I hope to get out of this? And is the method that I am using, so fitness or movement or strength, is that going to lead to that?" (20:27) "You don't have to do it just like the one way that someone told you too. You can find your way through it and as you are finding your way, your goal might change. It might not, you might find a whole bunch of different things that you didn't know were there, and I think that's the really valuable part." (23:25) "Know that you still deserve to enjoy your movement, you still deserve to enjoy food, you still deserve to enjoy whatever you want and whatever you can, even if your body has changed." (29:17) Links Follow Steph on Instagram Strong by Steph Website Order The Core 4 Book Here Join the Core 4 Club on Facebook Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!