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Real Food Stories

Heather Carey

138 episodes

1 week ago

What if your body isn’t failing you — it’s just stuck in protection mode? In this episode, board-certified hypnotherapist Ethan Reis breaks down how clinical hypnotherapy (the real kind, not the stage show version) helps a hyperactive nervous system calm down so healing, behavior change, and better sleep finally become possible. Ethan shares his own story of post-concussion migraines, light sensitivity, and depression — and how hypnotherapy unlocked recovery after traditional care hit a wall....

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Self-Improvement,

Health & Fitness

All content for Real Food Stories is the property of Heather Carey and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

What if your body isn’t failing you — it’s just stuck in protection mode? In this episode, board-certified hypnotherapist Ethan Reis breaks down how clinical hypnotherapy (the real kind, not the stage show version) helps a hyperactive nervous system calm down so healing, behavior change, and better sleep finally become possible. Ethan shares his own story of post-concussion migraines, light sensitivity, and depression — and how hypnotherapy unlocked recovery after traditional care hit a wall....

Show more...

Self-Improvement,

Health & Fitness

Episodes (20/138)

Real Food Stories

137. What Really Happens During Hypnotherapy (And Why It Works) with Ethan Reis

What if your body isn’t failing you — it’s just stuck in protection mode? In this episode, board-certified hypnotherapist Ethan Reis breaks down how clinical hypnotherapy (the real kind, not the stage show version) helps a hyperactive nervous system calm down so healing, behavior change, and better sleep finally become possible. Ethan shares his own story of post-concussion migraines, light sensitivity, and depression — and how hypnotherapy unlocked recovery after traditional care hit a wall....

1 week ago

39 minutes

Real Food Stories

136. When Your Body Knows Before Your Mind: The Power of Somatic Healing

Feeling stressed, disconnected, or stuck in your head? In this episode, we explore how somatic healing, breathwork, and movement can help women in midlife calm the nervous system, release stored emotions, and come back home to their bodies. I’m sitting down with Brittany Cessar, a guide and practitioner of Somatic Activated Healing (SAH) — a movement-based practice that combines breath, music, and gentle gestures to help you feel emotions rather than overthink them. Brittany shares how this w...

2 weeks ago

40 minutes

Real Food Stories

135. Rooted and Rested: Your Guide to a Saner Holiday Season

The holidays can feel like a full-contact sport: less daylight, more demands, and an endless push to perform joy on cue. We’re flipping that script. Heather shares a clear, compassionate plan to move through the season rooted and rested—anchored in what matters, nourished by simple food, and protected by boundaries that keep your peace intact. We start with energy: why the time change hits hard, how a full-spectrum “happy light” can help mood and sleep, and the mindset shift that turns rest ...

2 weeks ago

30 minutes

Real Food Stories

134: Behind the Scenes: Building The Well Nourished Woman Community

Midlife isn’t just about hormones and hot flashes — it’s about everything that comes with this season of change: our bodies, our relationships, our work, our purpose, our confidence, and yes… our food. In this week’s episode of Real Food Stories, I open up about why I created The Well Nourished Woman Community — a supportive online space where women 40+ can reconnect with their health, their kitchens, and themselves. I'm sharing the story behind the community, what you’ll find inside, and how...

1 month ago

23 minutes

Real Food Stories

133. Ditch the Old Diet Rules Already!

Midlife is not a mandate to shrink yourself—it’s an invitation to feed the strongest version of you. We dig into why the old rules stop working, how cultural pressure to look “ageless” seeps into our plates, and what a kinder, smarter approach to food can look like day to day. If you’ve been “good” all week yet still feel tired, hungry, and frustrated, this conversation will feel like a deep exhale. We break down a simple, flexible framework built on four pillars—protein, fiber, healthy fats...

1 month ago

34 minutes

Real Food Stories

132. Why Your (Midlife) Kitchen Needs an Upgrade

Your 30's kitchen did its job—fast, convenient, and forgiving. But when hormones shift, muscle declines, and sleep gets touchy, those old habits can leave you drained. Let's walk through a midlife kitchen upgrade that feels doable: smarter food choices built around protein, fiber, healthy fats, and color; a few high-impact tools that remove friction; and a mindset shift that turns cooking into a creative act of self-care. We start with the why: metabolism slows, digestion gets sensitiv...

1 month ago

21 minutes

Real Food Stories

131. Stop Restricting, Start Nourishing: The Midlife Plate Formula

What used to work for your body in your 30's doesn't seem to work anymore. The skipped meals, low-fat foods, and calorie cutting that once helped you bounce back now leave you tired, hungry, and struggling with your weight. There's a reason for this – your midlife body requires a different approach to nutrition. The midlife plate isn't another restrictive diet or complicated eating plan. It's a framework built on four essential pillars that support your changing hormones, metabolism, and ene...

2 months ago

37 minutes

Real Food Stories

130. This is How You Really Lose Weight in Midlife

Ever feel like your body betrayed you somewhere in your 40s or 50s? Like you're doing everything "right" but the weight keeps creeping on? You're not alone—and contrary to what you might have heard, it's not your hormones causing the problem. The reality of midlife weight management is both simpler and more complex than most wellness influencers would have you believe. While menopause itself doesn't cause weight gain, the perfect storm of muscle loss, decreased activity, disrupted sleep, and...

2 months ago

46 minutes

Real Food Stories

129. You Don't Need a Weighted Vest to Thrive in Midlife

Feeling overwhelmed by all the midlife fitness trends bombarding your social feeds? You're not alone. From weighted vests to protein obsession to step-counting fixations, the wellness world has become a maze of contradictory advice that leaves many women feeling like they're failing—even when they're doing their best. In this revealing episode, I dive deep into the most pervasive fitness trends dominating the menopause conversation and separate evidence-based practices from marketing hype. D...

3 months ago

22 minutes

Real Food Stories

128. The Disappearing Act of Food in Midlife Wellness

The wellness conversation around menopause has become saturated with quick fixes and expensive products while real food has disappeared from the dialogue. Heather Carey critiques the current landscape where protein shakes, weighted vests, and GLP-1 drugs dominate instead of focusing on nourishing, whole foods. • Menopause has become big business with many "scam artists" selling unnecessary supplements and diets • Popular trends like weighted vests, high protein goals, and GLP-1 drugs are ove...

3 months ago

28 minutes

Real Food Stories

127. The Homesteader's Mindset: Building Joy Through Simple Habits

What if you didn’t have to move to the woods to live a more content, intentional life? In this action oriented conversation with Elizabeth Bruckner, author of The Homesteader Mindset, we explore how everyday habits—not remote acreage—can transform your relationship with food, home, and health. From fermenting your first jar of sauerkraut to growing a single basil plant, Elizabeth shares practical, approachable ways to reconnect with what nourishes you. We unpack tools like habit stacking and ...

4 months ago

59 minutes

Real Food Stories

126. Feel Better First: A Lifestyle Medicine Approach to Menopause with Dr. Olga Morton

Most women are handed a prescription or a supplement when menopause hits — but what if the real foundation for feeling better starts with small, everyday changes? In this episode, Dr. Olga Morton, a physician trained in lifestyle medicine, shares the six evidence-based pillars she uses to help women navigate menopause with less overwhelm and more clarity: a mostly plant-based diet, movement, stress relief, better sleep, stronger relationships, and reducing what works against your hormones. We...

4 months ago

57 minutes

Real Food Stories

125. Yin, Yang, and Your Hot Flashes with Doctor of Chinese Medicine Chloe Weber

If you are curious about alternatives to Menopause Hormone Therapy, Dr. Chloe Weber and I dive deep into the world of Traditional Chinese Medicine and how customized herbal formulations can offer powerful support through menopause, whether you're taking MHT or seeking natural alternatives to manage symptoms and support overall wellbeing. • Chloe explains how Chinese medicine differs from Western approaches by addressing root causes rather than isolated symptoms • Chinese medicine views menop...

4 months ago

37 minutes

Real Food Stories

124. How a Plant-Forward Diet Changed Everything for Alisia Essig

What would you do if your 37-year-old husband had a stroke out of the blue—while raising six kids, including twin babies? That’s the moment Allie’s world turned upside down and became the start of a total shift in how her family approached food, health, and healing. Frustrated by vague advice like “eat a heart-healthy diet,” Allie dove into the research and discovered the power of a plant-centered plate—especially the role of fiber and accessible plant-based proteins in reducing inflammation ...

4 months ago

51 minutes

Real Food Stories

123. The Pizza That Built a Family: Erica D’Arcangelo’s Real Food Story

What if a humble pizza shop could hold the history of an entire family? In this heartwarming episode, Erica D’Arcangelo shares the extraordinary legacy of her Italian immigrant grandfather, who began working in Pennsylvania coal mines at just nine years old—and went on to found a beloved pizzeria that became the cornerstone of a three-generation family story. Erica brings us inside the walls of that 65-year-old institution, where the scent of fresh dough meets decades of resilience, love, and...

5 months ago

34 minutes

Real Food Stories

122. Why Cooking Feels Like Such a Chore (and How to Learn to Love It)

Ever found yourself staring into the refrigerator, completely drained by the thought of cooking yet another meal? After decades of feeding others and managing everyone's food preferences, midlife often brings a peculiar relationship with cooking – what once felt like an act of love now feels like just another chore to check off your list. This burnout is completely normal. The mental load of cooking isn't just about the physical tasks; it's about the constant decision-making, the pressure to ...

5 months ago

16 minutes

Real Food Stories

121. Peri, Post & Everything in Between with Erika Shannon

From dreaded adversary to unexpected ally, menopause transforms from something women merely survive into a doorway to authentic living. This candid conversation between two menopause specialists—one navigating perimenopause in her 40's, the other firmly in menopause at 57—delivers the straight talk about hormones, fitness, nutrition, and identity that's missing from most menopause discussions. Erika Shannon reveals how early perimenopause symptoms disrupted her life as a fitness instructor, ...

5 months ago

1 hour 7 minutes

Real Food Stories

120. How to Reimagine Your Next Chapter with Camille Wolsonovich

What does the next chapter of your life really look like? Whether you're dreaming of a slower pace, planning a big adventure, or simply craving clarity about your future, this conversation with Camille Walsonovich offers a fresh perspective on reimagining what comes next. After 35 magical years at Disney, Camille found herself at age 50 searching for guidance on transitioning to her next chapter. When she couldn't find resources specifically addressing women's retirement experiences, she cre...

5 months ago

35 minutes

Real Food Stories

119. Eating Well Without Starting Over (Again)

When did you first learn your body was “wrong”? For nutrition coach Elizabeth Dahl, it started with a comment about her legs—and from there, years of restriction, shame, and disconnection followed. In this honest and hopeful conversation, Elizabeth shares how she broke free from diet culture and found food freedom rooted in self-trust, not perfection. We talk about why "perfect plans" don’t work in real life, how to reset after tough moments with food, and why your body deserves to be nurtur...

6 months ago

41 minutes

Real Food Stories

118. The Messy, Honest Truth About Change After 40

Change is a part of life—but in your 40s and beyond, it can feel messier, more emotional, and a lot harder to navigate. In this episode, I’m digging into why change often hits differently in midlife, the feelings it stirs up (spoiler: you’re not alone!), and how to move through it with more ease and self-compassion. Whether you’re facing shifts in your health, relationships, career, or sense of self, this conversation is here to remind you that it’s okay to feel all the things—and that ...

6 months ago

20 minutes