The Wellness Mama Podcast

If you watch the news, it can feel as if life is never truly safe and that even a routine trip to the park with children can be a dangerous endeavor.The truth is that we are statistically safer than we’ve ever been, but those statistics don’t matter to the families who have been victims of crimes. So how do you keep your family safe without living in constant fear and how do you separate common sense prevention from paranoia?Learning from a Former CIA OfficerIn this interview, I talk with Jason Hanson, a former CIA Officer and the New York Times bestselling author of Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life. Jason has appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank, Fox & Friends, Dateline, NBC Today Show, and Rachael Ray, to name a few. He runs his Spy Escape & Evasion school on his 320-acre Spy Ranch in Cedar City, Utah.Jason shares his story of how he became a CIA agent and how he uses the knowledge he gained through operative training to protect his family. He also teaches workshops to help men, women, and families take practical steps to keep safe.In This Episode, You’ll LearnThe number one way to reduce your chances of becoming the victim of a crimeHow criminals, when interviewed, could identify potential victims in seconds just from looking at picturesWhat to do if you are ever in a dangerous situation with your childrenThe reason women (and especially moms) need to be concerned with self-defenseWays to teach your children to be safe at home and when out and aboutHow to have a “family safety plan” for your home and what to do if an intruder ever entersWhat to do to reduce the chances of home invasion, car jacking, and kidnappingSimple tips to stay safe while travelingHow to use some spare change and a sock for self defenseThe one place Jason would never take his family (hint: it is a popular vacation destination)A simple tool you can carry anywhere (even in airports) to help defend yourselfIf and when you should carry a gun or knife for protectionResources We MentionJason’s Tactical PenRead TranscriptKatie: Hi welcome to The Healthy Moms Podcast. I’m Katie from wellnessmama.com. This episode is brought to you by two companies that I absolutely love and whose products I use all the time the first is Kettle and Fire Bone Broth, which is the only USDA-certified grass-fed bone broth made with organic ingredients, and their broth is made with bones from grass-fed, pasture-raised, antibiotic, and hormone-free cows, and it’s also delicious. The best part is it’s nonperishable, so it’s available in many stores but it can also be shipped anywhere in the US without refrigeration, which makes shipping less expensive and more environmentally-friendly.The second company is Thrive Market which is a hybrid of Whole Foods, Amazon, and Costco. And what I mean by that is it has a membership fee like Costco, to let you into the low prices, then it has it’s online like Amazon, and it carries natura

As a mom of six, it’s long been part of my weekly ritual to sit down with my husband after the kids are in bed and enjoy all a good glass of wine has to offer. But as my diet improves (and as I get older … ahem), I find I’m more and more likely …

Today I’m spending time with Jasmina Aganovic, scientist, cosmetics expert, and president of Mother Dirt, a fascinating company founded on one simple premise: Don’t be afraid of a little good, clean dirt. You all know I’m a big fan of letting kids play outside as much as possible, and even better if they’re barefoot and …

In this “electrifying” interview, I catch up with Maneesh Sethi, blogger, world traveler, and creator of Pavlok, a behavior modification wristband that shocks you into achieving your goals. And I do mean that literally! When I first met Maneesh on a bus ride years ago, we connected right away. I was fascinated by his commitment …

Cate Shanahan M.D, author of Deep Nutrition (one of my favorite books), is a board-certified family physician. She trained in biochemistry and genetics at Cornell University before attending Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. For ten years, she practiced medicine in Hawaii, where she studied ethnobotany and the culinary habits of her healthiest patients. Her own health …

Katie and Heather from Mommypotamus.com sit down for the first ever SaunaCast. Why the name? They recorded this episode from inside a sauna (in the thirty minutes before they tapped out from the heat!). In This Episode, They Discuss: Why they are recording inside a 153 degree sauna in the first place What their kids got for …

When I met Oprah’s sleep doctor, Dr. Michael Breus, at a recent event, I knew I had to have him on the podcast to share his information. He’s the author of the wildly popular new book, The Power of When, and in this episode, he explains why “night owl” and “early bird” are outdated terms …

One of the best moms I know, Katie Kimball of Kitchen Stewardship, joins me again this week for a discussion of natural parenting tips and organizational strategies that she has learned in her years as a teacher and mom of four.In her seven years blogging, Katie has published eight eBooks covering the spectrum of real food from lunch to dinner, snacks, and even camping. She has also created the Kids Cook Real Food course, which helps moms include their children in the healthy cooking process.Tips for Natural ParentingKatie offers this advice for raising helpful, well-behaved kids:1. Be ConsistentKatie has found that sticking to what you say helps her kids believe what she says and learn to behave accordingly. She acknowledges that this isn’t always easy (as any mom knows) but shares tips for learning to stick to a consistent routine, schedule and parenting style.2. Acknowledge Your MistakesNo mom is perfect, but that’s ok!In fact, one of the best lessons to teach a child is to let them see you work through your mistakes. Katie suggests to acknowledge the fact that you’ve made a mistake in the first place, and explain that you’re trying to do better. This will not only show vulnerability and work to build your relationship and mutual respect with your children, but also provide a valuable example of humility.3. Create a Culture of ServiceAnother lesson best taught by example. Encourage your kids to help each other and serve others in the family. This has helped Katie’s kids move through the self-centered phases of childhood faster. This can be as easy as little acts such as helping a younger sibling or fetching a diaper for a parent, or a bigger action like taking canned goods to a food kitchen or helping at a local charity.4. Let Good Behavior “Trickle Down”A great suggestion and one I’ve noticed in my kids as well. If you have (or plan to have) more than one child, spend a lot of time teaching your oldest. Inevitably, he/she will pass on the knowledge to the younger siblings and the process will get easier with each child. This also creates a positive culture among the children where they help each other and remember rules more easily (because they remind each other). Little kids love to emulate older siblings so positive habits that older kids learn get passed on easily.The Teacher PerspectiveKatie Kimball taught 3rd grade before having kids of her own. Her educational background has influenced her parenting in many positive ways, including:Teaching her kids language through talking without “kid language.”Making reading fun.Value and encourage curiosityThe Summer Vacation Survival KitNow that summer has arrived, many parents are struggling to keep their kids occupied with positive activities. Katie Kimball has put together a guide to help parents make summer fun and healthy for you kids (and doable for moms). Here are a few of her suggestions:Gather ideas for chores, learning, work and fun activities together, then choose one of each after breakfast each day. (This is Katie’s “Lazy Summer Vacation Organizational System”)Create routines around breakfast, because it happens every dayEncourage your kids to create their own pretend activities“I’m bored,” means they get to do a choreLast Piece of Advice…Katie Kimball rounded out this episode of the podcast by expressing just how powerful it is to love your kids, especially through physical touch. Hugs and snuggles at an early age make a huge difference!ResourcesKi

Preparing meals for the family doesn’t have to an overwhelming, daily project for mom. Kids can help! In this podcast episode, I’m again joined by Katie Kimball, who shares her expertise on teaching kids to cook real food in the kitchen.Teaching Kids to CookKatie Kimball has created an excellent course called Kids Cook Real Food, which helps moms teach their children cooking skills from a very young age and facilitates children helping prepare meals. She is also the founder of KitchenStewardship.com, a blog that encourages other moms to take baby steps to better nutrition for their families while balancing their limited time and budget.Why Teach Kids to Cook?Katie Kimball is mother of 4, and the desire to create her Kids Cook Real Food course came out of necessity in her own life. Here are a few reasons she highlights for teaching kids to help in the kitchen:If kids learn how to prepare healthy food well, they will be much more likely to continue to prepare and eat healthy food as adultsTeaching kids to cook saves time. For example, one child who learned from Katie’s course is only 3 years old, but now insists on making her own peanut butter sandwiches every day.When kids work with the food themselves, they are more excited to eat it.It helps kids build authentic self-esteem.What About Kitchen Knives?In our Western culture, we can often overprotect our children from simple tasks with sharp kitchen knives. As Katie Kimball explains, knife skills are not only safe to learn, they are also important.Here’s why:Cutting raw vegetables is integral to healthy eating habits. Becoming confident in this area is very important.Using real tools like a kitchen knife builds real confidence in children.Age appropriate knife skills—going from a butter knife, to a paring knife, to a chef’s knife—is a safe and valuable learning process.Katie Kimball goes on to share several other benefits of teaching kids to cook healthy meals:Kids learning how to talk about food, and therefore have better manners when visiting other peopleWhen kids understand herbs, they can choose and play a powerful role in processKids feeling valued and validatedKids understanding that food prep is real work that takes time—and thus are less likely to wasteAppropriate Cooking Skills for Young ChildrenHelping out in the kitchen is not a task reserved for older kids. Katie recommends these skills as good starters for younger kids.Age 2–5:• Carrying plates• Butter knife skills: cutting bananas, spreading butter, etc.• Peeling• Pouring (start with a little creamer pitcher)• Sorting• MeasuringAge 6–8• Advanced measuring• Reading recipes• Paring knife skills: somewhat soft fruits and vegetables• Stove safetyAges 8–12• Chef’s knife for all kinds of cutting• Advanced stove work• Oven skillsResources We Mention• Kids Cook Real Food Course (awesome course- my kids love it)• Kitchenstewardship.comKitchen Skills for KidsKatie Kimball has offered her 3-video series for teaching kids how to help out in the kitchen. It’s called, Kitchen Skills for Kids, and it’s for free to listeners of the podcast.

Eating healthy food on a budget can be hard, but in this episode, Katie Kimball of Kitchen Stewardship shares some great money saving tips for moms and families.Katie is a teacher, a mom of four and the author of 8 ebooks. She is also the creator of the awesome Kids Cook Real Food course, which provides an easy-to-learn class for kids to learn how to cook real food on their own at all ages.Budget Friendly Real Food Shopping LocationsKatie shares her favorite places to shop for real food and how often she shops to maximize her food budget and minimize shopping time. These are the places Katie likes to shop and some of the best deals on natural foods that she finds at each stoer:Costco, once or twice a month for non-perishable organics in bulk, cheese and bulk greens.Aldi, once a week for produce canned goods like spaghetti sauce, salmon, salmon, beans, fruit and nut bars and gluten free foods.Country Life Natural Foods (Michigan) for occasional bulk items.Farmer’s Markets when available for meats, seasonal produce, etc.Meijer once or twice per quarter for more obscure produce or items not found at the farmers market.Taking Kids Grocery ShoppingAs a mother of 4, Katie Kimball has a lot of experience taking kids along to the grocery store. Here’s how she not only manages it, but her tips for making it a worthwhile experience for kids.Give the older kids jobs to do, delegating things like, “get 7 cucumbers”Teach about the food you’re choosingTalk about numbers and countingPractice the skill of organizing and categorizingAt a self checkout, have kids “beep” the groceries past the scanner and see the mathGive them something to look forward to afterward, to avoid the “gimme’s” at checkoutJust talk! Kids are always learning from their parents, and the grocery store is a great place to teachMeal PlanningFor those on a tight budget, Katie Kimball’s last important tip is to plan your meals for the week ahead of time. This helps reduce waste and prevent overspending, especially on meat.ResourcesKids Cook Real Food CourseReal Plans Meal Planning ServiceKitchen Skills for Kids!Katie Kimball has offered her 3-video series for teaching kids how to help out in the kitchen. It’s called, Kitchen Skills for Kids, and it’s for free to listeners of the podcast. Click here to get access now.Read TranscriptKatie: Katie, welcome back. Last week you were here talking about baby steps toeating real food and you shared some amazing tips on pantry staples andswitching out some of those processed boxed foods that are so popular andthat make dinnertime easy with real food options that are also simple andeasy. This time I can’t wait for us to dive in and talk about some of ourfavorite real food shopping tips and tricks. Welcome. Thanks for being