Insatiable with Ali Shapiro, MSOD, CHHC

Alcohol is one of the most consumed forms of sugar and quitting alcohol can lead to an increase in sugar cravings and consumption. In this episode, bestselling author Laura McKowen and I discuss:

• How she stopped eating so much sugar after it initially increased with sobriety
• The relationship between her drinking and history of eating disorders
• Her process to sobriety, which included recognizing our collective, unhealthy ...

Today’s solo episode grew out of Oprah’s Weight Loss Special Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution that aired on ABC this Monday night. Because it’s network TV, only so much could be covered, which is why I created this episode to go deeper. 

Most of the people having big reactions to Oprah's weight loss are those who’ve never struggled with their weight (and so don’t understand) OR those who have historically ...

Hailey Rowe is a Marketing & Sales Coach, as well as a Linkedin Lead Generation Service Provider. She helps coaches, therapists, and service providers book clients, develop their no brainer offers and grow their income and impact. She shares her F.A.S.T. framework, marketing, and business tips on her Health Coach Nation Podcast and in her FREE Marketing Hub Facebook Group.

She’s been named as one of the Top 25 Coaches...

In this 7th (and final!) episode of season 14, I interview integrated dietitian and menopause expert Esther Blum on all things hormone replacement therapy for women. In the past 27 years, Esther has helped thousands of women master menopause through nutrition, hormones, and self-advocacy. In addition to her incredible expertise, I always love having on  guests who have walked their talk. Known for being Gwyneth Paltrow's menop...

Get ready to dive deep into the groundbreaking insights shared by Dr. Stacy Sims in our 6th episode of season 14.  Stacy brings her wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table, shedding light on the unique physiological considerations women face, especially during phases like perimenopause and menopause. From the impact of hormones on exercise performance to the complexities of gut health and nutrient requirements, this episode ...

In this fifth episode of season 14, I have a spirited and wide-ranging conversation with Rev. Kinsie M. Tate, founder of Restore Clergy, a nonprofit organization supporting clergy and caregivers. Together, we delve into the delicate complexities of stress leadership in midlife, perimenopause, and menopause. Strap in because we cover a lot ground that goes well beyond the common (just deep breathe?) stress management tactics you&apo...

In this fourth episode of season 14, I'll help you filter through the perimenopause and menopause nutrition noise by busting 3 top myths. Why? Because most of the common advice out there is recycled diet culture heavily rooted in restriction and one-size-fits-all recommendations (at a time in our life when we require a more individualized approach). 

Most women will gain weight at midlife, which makes us more suscept...

In this third episode of season 14, I have an eye-opening conversation around midlife sleep struggles with sleep coach Kelly Murray. Insomnia was my main perimenopause symptom (and I had no idea it was even a perimenopause symptom) and yet, about 60% of women report sleep challenges during perimenopause and menopause. 

Kelly and I will get into root-causes of poor sleep and how the hormonal changes of this time influence sleep. We’l...

In this second episode of season 14, I have a thought-provoking conversation around midlife experiences, alcohol, and personal growth with bestselling author Laura McKowen.

We explore the challenges of perimenopause, menopause, and the impact of alcohol consumption on women's health.  We cover it all, from the intersection of food and alcohol struggles with hormonal changes to the spiritual reckoning and opportunitie...

Hello Insatiable Listeners! 

Strap in for this new season (the 14th!) where we'll cover all things perimenopause, menopause, and midlife. This introductory episode begins with my own personal story—including dramatic weight gain—and some shocking realizations that planted the initial seeds for this season we are about to embark upon. Let me tell you, midlife brings some serious changes and challenges on all fronts. 

In...

Elise and I pick up our conversation from part one of her instant New York Times bestseller On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good.
 
In this episode, we take our conversation further and deeper, unpacking the sins of Envy and Sloth and their effect on women.
 
It’s rare I can talk to someone who understands the various perspectives on body image (including the ones where it...

Annually, Elise Loehnen’s parents would weigh themselves in a vigilant effort to stay within five to ten pounds of their marriage weight. When Elise went away to boarding school, this culture further normalized eating vigilance and restriction as necessary. 

Then in her early career at Lucky Magazine, where she was often photographed, restricting her food in attempts to be a sample size at 5 ‘10 seemed like the obvious choice to sta...

Part of what’s been hard for me the last three years was I didn’t understand how drastically the hormonal shifts that start for women around 35 and accelerate in our mid-40s affects ALL THE THINGS.

And I’m someone who knows that our physiology and psychology are in a constant feedback loop. 

Yet because perimenopause and menopause are women's health issues, they don’t get the attention they deserve. Nor do doctor’s really unders...

While Laura McKowen is known for her work around alcohol sobriety, her first coping strategy was food.

Like Laura, I have many clients who come to me where their first “thing” was food. And after getting sober or soberish, their eating issues return or becomes a “thing”.

In this special Insatiable episode, we apply the wisdom Laura writes about in her new book to food, body image, and the overlap with alcohol.

We discuss:

1. How Laur...

Dr. Michelle Segar, one of the more progressive health behavioral change experts, says sustainable behavior change with eating and exercise is not a product of rule-following.

In other words, trying so hard to perfectly stick to a plan is not an effective goal or strategy. Rather, we need to learn flexibility. Because life is much more unpredictable these days. Anyone like me who sends their child to daycare knows this deep in their...

When I surveyed my newsletter readers back In the April, a common survey response theme was:

“I feel uncomfortable in my body and feel ridiculous that I am focused on this when there is so much else that is so much more important to deal with.”

I sooo get this. I felt this way about my own weight struggles in the 9/11, U.S. invasion of Iraq-era. And today’s world issues feel much more urgent and complex.

Yet what I’ve discov...

A  Truce with Food foundational focus is learning how to effectively respond to the stress that makes you eat. Because we are often reacting to the past when our sense of safety was compromised, which fuels our current stress.

For example, I used to binge on sugar during my cancer “scanxiety” season even though it was 15 years later. Because in the past, MRIs did find cancer (and I didn’t know I could ever not turn to fo...

How many times have you thought: why do I self-sabotage with food? If those answers haven’t gotten you very far, I have a much better question for you.

“How does my eating protect me?” is a question that will take you far and deep. To guide us with this question and path to your answers, I have the wise Sil Reynolds to talk food, protection strategies, and the root vulnerability in our stories that our food habits are tryi...

The Wellness culture we see as we scroll through Instagram or listen to in our earbuds on various wellness podcasts often casts itself as the opposite of Western Medicine. And yet, both industries overlap via the same value system of Puritans and Protestantism. 

From “clean eating” to failed functional medicine protocols because “client’s aren’t disciplined enough”, Protestantism and Puritanism are alive and well in both industries....