1. Episode #18: Does Organic Really Matter and How to Start Juicing (with Kat Eckles)

On this top nutrition podcast episode of Coffee & Kettlebells, Kat Eckles, the co-founder of Clean Juice and a certified health coach, discusses why you should be eating organic foods and buying organic household and beauty products. You’ll learn the main contaminants in conventional foods and how they affect your health, plus the top contaminated foods (also known as the “Dirty Dozen”) that you should always buy organic. You’ll also learn the benefits of juicing and green smoothies and which juices are best for your different health needs.

2. Episode #45: Actual Ways to Stop Craving Junk Food (with Samantha Eaton)

Certified nutritional health coach and eating psychology coach Samantha Eaton joins me on this top nutrition episode of Coffee & Kettlebells to chat about why developing more willpower, discipline and motivation won’t prevent your cravings and what you can do that actually helps overcome them. Samantha also shares how to have less self-judgment and more self-compassion when you do succumb to eating junk food, how to deal with stress eating and how to say “no” to the junk food your significant other or children keep in the house.

3. Episode #38: Intuitive Eating: How to Build a Healthier Relationship with Food

(with Chelsey Amer)

In this top nutrition podcast episode of Coffee & Kettlebells, registered dietitian, nutritionist and wellness coach Chelsey Amer shares how you can reset your relationship with food through eating intuitively. You’ll learn signs your diet isn’t working for you, how to begin eating right for your body and how to stop overindulging and binge eating. Plus, you’ll learn the dangers of calorie restriction, why having cheat meals might not be helping you and how to make “all foods fit” into your diet.

4. Episode #24: How to Stay on Track Over the Weekend

If the weekends are your weakness, then this top nutrition podcast episode is for you! In this episode of Coffee & Kettlebells, I address common obstacles that stop you from staying on track over the weekend and share my best tips for enjoying a healthy yet balanced weekend without overindulging or feeling deprived.

5. Episode #13: The Truth About Cheat Days, Exercising When Sick, Post-Exercise Hunger & Pregnancy Cravings

This top nutrition podcast episode is a Q&A edition where I answer your pressing health and fitness questions! I dive into why you shouldn’t work out when you’re sick, how to overcome excess hunger when training intensely, helpful tricks for battling unhealthy food cravings during pregnancy (or just in life!) and why cheat days may not always be the best idea for your health and fitness goals.

6. Episode #28: How to Create a Healthy Meal for Weight Loss

With so many fad diets, it can be extremely confusing and overwhelming to figure out what you should be eating and in what amounts in order to successfully lose weight. In this top nutrition podcast episode of Coffee & Kettlebells, I teach you how to let go of the fad diets and create a healthy meal to boost weight loss. You’ll learn how to stop overthinking and over-complicating your meal choices with my extremely simple tricks for creating healthy and balanced meals every day.

7. Episode #25: Is Your Gut Healthy? Why It Matters and How to Fix It (with Dr. Jennifer Noonan)

This top nutrition podcast episode is extremely beneficial for determining if your gut is out of balance. Dr. Jennifer Noonan joins me to discuss the hot topic of gut health, what it means to have an unhealthy gut and why it is so important to heal it. You’ll learn which foods and daily exposures throw your gut out of balance, signs and side effects of bad gut health, the effects bad gut health has on your children, the top foods to eat and to avoid for better gut health and a detailed plan to reset your gut now.

8. Episode #30: Why Am I So Bloated?

Bloating is not a glamorous topic to discuss, but it’s a common struggle. If you experience bloating regularly, stop living in discomfort because, believe it or not, it can be avoided! In this top nutrition podcast episode of Coffee & Kettlebells, I discuss what foods in your diet might be causing you to bloat and my favorite tips to make it disappear.

9. Episode #19: Your Nutrition Questions Answered: Keto, Macros, Carb Cycling, Sugar and Detoxing

In this top nutrition podcast episode of Coffee & Kettlebells, I answer your burning nutrition questions! You’ll learn my thoughts on the keto diet, what it means to carb cycle and how to do it, and what macros are and how to count them. I’ll also discuss where sugar is hiding in your diet, why you shouldn’t avoid sugar from fruit, the best carbs and the best time to eat them, and the top foods for detoxing your system.

10. Episode #22: Why Your “Ideal” Body Weight Doesn’t Make You Healthy and Happy (with Samantha Eaton)

This top nutrition podcast episode of Coffee & Kettlebells is both informative and extremely empowering. Samantha Eaton, a certified nutritional health coach and eating psychology coach,  shares her story about reaching her “ideal” body weight and what she learned. Samantha discusses why compromising your health and happiness for a pant size isn’t worth it, the negative health effects of over-exercising and calorie restriction, and a healthier and more balanced approach to diet and nutrition.

Daily on my Facebook news feed I see my friends and family using food as a reward. I also see women in my gym using fitness as a “punishment” for overdoing it on the weekend! This deception isn’t easy to escape, but then again, nothing in life that is truly impactful is usually easy, is it? This particular cycle is crucial to break because, once we do, we can open up the door to a better life.

Food Is Not A Reward!

And while we’re on the topic, neither are adult beverages! I know my ladies love their wine! When we continuously rewarding ourselves with food or beverages, instead being mindful and only indulging in moderation, we begin to affiliate food with whether or not we’re worthy of success. We associate foods like pizza, chocolate and wine as treats for our “good behavior” – but that association is short-lived. After we indulge we often have feelings of guilt and failure and we shift our association to “bad behavior” for eating something that we believe we should avoid. The truth is, this association between food and our behavior doesn’t really exist, and by creating it we put ourselves in an unhealthy mindset.

Fitness Is Not Punishment

I get it… I used to run on a treadmill for what seemed like hours to “burn off” whatever I did to my body over the weekend. You see, the problem here was that I hated running! It was so boring to me and I knew I needed to find a workout that was fun for me – something that I looked forward to doing, something that involved people that have similar goals as me! You want to make sure that fitness is just a part of your daily routine, where you get to face the challenge of becoming the best version of yourself!

5 Tips to Change Your “Food Reward” Mindset

I am going to give you 5 tips to change your mindset on rewarding with food and viewing workouts as punishment…

Tip 1 – Find a Different Reward

This might seem like a given, but I wanted to give you some examples of different rewards I use for myself that don’t include food…

• Get a massage and take care of your body and muscles.
• Go get a manicure or pedicure, pampering is fun.
• Schedule an outing with a friend and set off on an adventure.
• Treat yourself to a new pair of shoes.
• Try out a new hair style.
• Buy some new workout clothes that help motivate you!

Tip 2 – Reminisce o a Fun Workout

Think about the most fun you have had during a workout! Maybe it was a partner workout with your best #Swolemate or Burn Beats Live!

Tip 3 – Be Mindful

When find yourself trying to rationalize food as a reward, stop yourself right there. Take three deep breaths and remind yourself that your behaviors don’t determine what you can and can’t eat. Then, think why you want the food. For example, you might say, “I want chocolate, because it tastes good – not because I do or don’t deserve it.” If the reason you want the food is because it tastes good, there are healthier options that taste good as well. Reach for some strawberries, or some watermelon!

Tip 4 – Meet Someone New at the Gym

When you make connections with people at the gym you begin to not only want to go because of the workouts, but also because of the relationships you have built! This helps hold us accountable and makes us want to go back day in and day out!

Tip 5 – Get Creative With Your Food

Oftentimes, junk foods feel indulgent simply because we don’t know how to create healthy options! Below I have attached a recipe for avocado pudding. I make this when I feel like indulging without reverting to junk food!

WHAT YOU NEED

• 3 large avocados, soft and ripe

• 1/4 cup organic, high-quality cacao powder

• 3 to 6 Tbsp. of unsweetened almond milk

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 2 tsp. coconut oil

• 2 Tbsp. raw honey

Combine avocado, cacao powder, almond milk, vanilla, coconut oil and honey in blender. Blend on high for 5 minutes or until smooth. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then enjoy!

Always remember that you should not feel discouraged if you’re not on your “diet A-game” 100% of the time! Small progress is still progress and food should always be thought of as a way to fuel your body with vital nutrients and protein. Try not to put yourself down for indulging in a treat every once in a while… but remember to make healthy choices along the way.

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