Podcasts about real food whole life

January may be nearing its end, but it's already been full of incredible stories—and Robyn Conley Downs is no exception! On the podcast, I'm joined by Robyn, MEd, Founder & Editor in Chief of Real Food Whole Life, who's passionate about making healthy living simple, sustainable, and doable for everyone. Her "protein-forward" recipes are a game-changer for busy families.In this episode, we talk about habits, Robyn's macro-counting journey, and the unique approach that led to her long-term success. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by trying to do it all or frustrated by a lack of progress, this conversation is full of relatable insights and practical tips. Don't miss Robyn's inspiring story and advice to help you embrace a healthier, more enjoyable lifestyle this year!Find show notes at bicepsafterbabies.com/356Follow me on Instagram and Tiktok!Links:Robyn's Website and Instagram The Book The Feel Good Effect  https://realfoodwholelife.com/fgebook/bicepsafterbabies.com/waitlist

Adrienne van der Valk is a writer, podcaster, certified meditation and yoga teacher, recovery mentor, co-founder of REVA Recovery Support, and co-host of The Hangover Liberation Society podcast. In her work as a trauma-informed recovery mentor, Adrienne teaches meditation and movement techniques to help her students align their minds and bodies with their vision for their sober lives. She draws on her background in social work and education as well as her personal journey with alcohol use disorder and years of research on the neuroscience of addiction to create her groundbreaking mentorship curriculum. As an anti-racist feminist, she also speaks, writes, and teaches about the social and political roots of addiction. Adrienne's work has been featured on the Messages & Methods and Not Your Little Lady podcasts, as well as Shout Out Atlanta, Real Food Whole Life, The Sober Curator, and Spirituality & Health. Download a free chapter from her forthcoming book Big Sober Energy at bigsoberenergy.com. You can read her essay “Mindfulness Over Merlot” on the Spirituality & Health website. In this episode, Adrienne and Rabbi Rami discuss sobriety, substance use disorder, and the power of mindfulness.

Adrienne van der Valk is a writer, podcaster, certified meditation and yoga teacher, recovery mentor, co-founder of REVA Recovery Support, and co-host of The Hangover Liberation Society podcast. In her work as a trauma-informed recovery mentor, Adrienne teaches meditation and movement techniques to help her students align their minds and bodies with their vision for their sober lives. She draws on her background in social work and education as well as her personal journey with alcohol use disorder and years of research on the neuroscience of addiction to create her groundbreaking mentorship curriculum. As an anti-racist feminist, she also speaks, writes, and teaches about the social and political roots of addiction. Adrienne's work has been featured on the Messages & Methods and Not Your Little Lady podcasts, as well as Shout Out Atlanta, Real Food Whole Life, The Sober Curator, and Spirituality & Health. Download a free chapter from her forthcoming book Big Sober Energy at bigsoberenergy.com. You can read her essay “Mindfulness Over Merlot” on the Spirituality & Health website. In this episode, Adrienne and Rabbi Rami discuss sobriety, substance use disorder, and the power of mindfulness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Jess sits down with Robyn Downs of Real Food Whole Life, podcaster at the Feel Good Effect Podcast, and author of The Feel Good Effect, a book about finding more calm, ease and joy in your life right now. Robyn holds a Master's degree in education with an emphasis in behavior change, and 4 years of public policy & health change at the doctoral level, her work taps into cutting edge science around psychology, neuroscience, mindfulness, and habits. In this episode we dive into: how do you help cut that noise and find individualized wellness for yourself? How do you avoid new info distraction? Why it's so hard for us to form and stick with habits? How do we shift our priorities when it feels like EVERYTHING is important (or at least the world is telling us it is) and so much more! We hope you learn something new today that helps you find joy and peace in the present while still working to implement change in you own life! Follow along with Robyn on: Instagram: @realfoodwholelife Podcast: Feel Good Effect Website: https://realfoodwholelife.com/ Thank you to our Sponsors! CODE: modernmamas Shop 15% off Beekeeper's Naturals Shop 15% off Four Sigmatic Shop 15% off Paleovalley Shop 20% off Organifi Shop 15% off BLUblox --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-modern-mamas-podcast/support

Small Shifts Create Big Changes with Robyn Conley Downs Sometimes, we are the enemy. We do not allow ourselves to feel good for multiple reasons. We set unrealistic standards or compare ourselves with other people, not knowing that we create a striving mindset. And because of this mindset, we create a barrier to wellness. This week, Robyn Conley Downs joins us to tackle how a striving mindset, all-or-nothing thinking, and lack of self-compassion prevent us from feeling good about ourselves. She also shares golden nuggets on how to mitigate our mindset and habits. If you are struggling with your mindset, routines, and behavior but want to start taking action to achieve wellness, this episode is for you! Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode: Learn about the activities that work, yet we don't take necessary action. Discover how mindfulness, habit, and change of behavior influence your life. Find out why you need to have more room to feel good in different aspects of your life. Resources My first book, Relationship Ready: How I Stopped Fucking Randos and Started Cupcaking My Soulmate, is available on Amazon and Audible. FREE workbook! Apply the lessons you learn from this episode as you listen! Subscribe to my mailing list, and I'll send it right away! Feel Good Effect Podcast Learn 500 free recipes from Robyn Conley Downs! Feel Good Resources — Free resources and downloads about principles and mindset from Robyn! Connect with Robyn on LinkedIn or Twitter Episode Highlights What Is Exercise Snacking for Wellness Educator Robyn approaches exercise by creating a bridge between research and daily experience. Exercise snacking is an excellent example of physical activity we know that works, but we won't do. An exercise physiologist came up with a study about the minimum amount of exercise with a significant impact on cardiovascular health. Exercise snacking has also been shown to improve mental health and blood sugar stability. The Striving Mindset Robyn discussed the striving mindset several times in her book. As a wellness educator, she seeks to understand the perspective that causes barriers to wellness. She believes we are knowledgeable about wellness but still opt to do the opposite. She looked at the things we need to unlearn, including perfectionism or unrealistic standards, all-or-nothing thinking, and comparison. An example of all-or-nothing thinking: we feel the need to be drenched in sweat before acknowledging our workout. This is incorrect. The Feel Good Mindset The antidote to a striving mindset is the feel-good mindset. We should ask ourselves questions about what we do. Can it be something that we like? Can it be something that we do because it makes us feel good? Can it be integrated into our lives? How Robyn Started Her Wellness Journey Robyn started her career in Applied Behavior Analysis and became a university instructor. She also went into the Public Affairs and Policy doctorate program to learn the systems and structures supporting change. She experienced a striving mindset when she had a baby. Tune in to the full episode to learn how she overcame this mindset and created a framework that works for her. Small Shifts Equal Big Change This principle encapsulates why our approach is broken. Robyn discussed that we tend to overestimate what we can do in a week and underestimate what we can do in a year. She also shares that we are addicted to going big and doing it perfectly. Taking small shifts might work, but it can be challenging. It is effective and promotes sustainability and a fun process. Publishing Journey The podcast helped her because publishers intentionally look for people who have a fully-formed idea, articulation, and audience before publishing a book. Her blog and Instagram contributed to the process of sharing, helping her to refine the idea. One of her listeners has a friend who was an editor or publisher. They reached out to her. She wrote a 90-page proposal about the content and marketing strategy. Robyn advises that you give yourself more time in the editing space. Discover how her book survived the pandemic by listening to the full episode. Pivot Experience Upon Book Launching One of the things she teaches is the self-compassion model developed by Dr. Kristin Neff. In this process, you practice acknowledging how you feel. The second thing is common humanity, which means you are not the only person going through a circumstance. Community suffering or the feeling of being part of something can also be transformative. What You Can Expect with Robyn's Feel Good Book It is a research-based book without seeming researchy. The first section of the book is about mindset. It talks about the striving mindset, all-or-nothing thinking, the feel-good mindset, self-compassion, and flexible thinking. In the second section of the book, she shared the good method. It includes routines and habits towards better decision-making. Challenging Points of Maintaining a Social Media Account Social media changes drastically and rapidly. It is easy to get disappointed for various reasons, such as growth visibility, resulting in inconsistency. Not knowing the purpose or meaning leads to unsustainability. Lastly, civility is at its lowest moment right now. Robyn's Thoughts About Podcasting Through the podcast platform, she can ask questions and understand things from another perspective. She also sees podcasts as a tool for teaching. For her, podcasts are the best networking platform. The only challenging part is the unreliable technology. Her Daily Non-Negotiables 80/20 Rule: 20% of our actions yield 80% of our results. Drink water in the morning. Always have a nourishing breakfast and lunch. Don't skip meals. Get outside for fresh air and sunlight. 5 Powerful Quotes from this Episode "We really want to understand like, what are the barriers to wellness? Because we know so much, and yet we often do the opposite." “You only have one life, and it's only so long. And I hope you spend it feeling good.”   "The best way if you want to be consistent with exercise is to detach it from controlling the size of your body. Find other reasons that are important, reasons that are connected to your values to do it. And then do it in a sustainable way over time and see what happens." "The first step of self-compassion, if you're actually going to be a self-compassionate person not just for yourself but for the collective, is acknowledging how you feel." "If you don't know why you are doing something, like how is it connected to how you want to feel in your values and the results you want in your life? It's not going to, you're not going to be able to sustain it because it has no meaning." About Robyn Robyn Conley Downs is a speaker, educator, entrepreneur, and podcaster. Before becoming a university instructor, she started her career in Applied Behavior Analysis. She has participated in a Public Affairs and Policy doctorate program. Robyn has also written a book about wellness entitled The Feel Good Effect: Reclaim Your Wellness by Creating Small Shifts That Create Big Change. She shares her insights and research-based knowledge about health through her Real Food Whole Life platform. Recently, she was known as the Most Influential Women in Wellness. To get in touch with her, you can check out her website. You can also follow her on LinkedIn and Twitter. Enjoy the Podcast? Learning how you could improve your relationships, whether romantic, familial, business, friendships, and with yourself, has never been this easy. If you enjoyed today's episode of The Relationship Ready Podcast, then hit subscribe and share it with your friends! Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends so they can feel empowered and inspired to reach their dreams. Have any questions? You can contact me through email or find me on Instagram or Facebook. Thanks for listening! For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You may also tune in on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. To being relationship ready, Heidi B

Robyn Conley downs, author and podcast host of The Feel Good Effect believes wellness needs to be simplified into small shifts to create big changes in your mindset, behaviors and decision making. The Feel Good Effect takes Robyn's big ideas and makes them easy to execute with simple shifts. Her website, Real Food Whole Life is home to all things health and wellness and Robyn uses simple, science-backed strategies to help people cut through life's clutter to uncover small shifts that create huge change. She believes in finding more calm, ease and joy in your life right now; and lives by her motto, gentle is the new perfect. Holding a Master's degree in education with an emphasis in behavior change, and 4 years of public policy & health change at the doctoral level, Robyn's work taps into cutting-edge science around psychology, neuroscience, mindfulness, and habits. Recently named one of the Most Influential Women in Wellness, she helps people cut through life's clutter to uncover small shifts that create huge change.  Make sure you also check out Real Food Whole Life which is the home of the Feel Good Effect. What is Real Food Whole Life? Health and Wellness according to Robyn Conley Downs is about self-compassion, gratitude and flexibility. It's about making important decisions, how to stop beating yourself up, and how to switch from a striving mindset to a feel good mindset.   "The perfection, all-or-nothing thinking, comparison path isn't a great one, but it's often the one we're on. But we can start walking a different direction with self-compassion, and gratitude and flexible thinking and we can end up getting different results."                                                    -Robyn Conley Downs Topics Discussed: Real Food Whole Life (How to make better decisions and routines) how to make sustained changed in your life identifying thought patterns that hold you back the problem with willpower how to create a routine if you hate routines how to make big decisions in life how to stop beating yourself up The Feel Good Challenge Listen Now about The Feel Good Effect   Resources Follow Robyn of Real Food Whole Life on instagram Buy the book: The Feel Good Effect Check out The Feel Good Effect Podcast Listen to my short podcast on boosting willpower Check out The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin Thanks to our Podcast Sponsor: Easy to follow Mobility & Stretching for Cyclists You know you should be stretching or doing some strength work as a cyclist, but you just can't get started. Maybe you're overwhelmed with too many options. Maybe you want to start but don't know what's best for cyclists.  Well, Dynamic Cyclist has you covered with foam rolling routines, strength training, and even injury rehab programs that are simple, effici ent, and easy to follow. Dynamic Cyclist Coupon Code: LOONEY15 Start Your FREE Day Trial + Enjoy 15% Off a Subscription!  

Jesse interviews wellness expert, educator, and entrepreneur Robyn Conley Downs about applying her strategies for wellness to making lasting change in budgeting.   You can find Robyn here: Real Food Whole Life: https://realfoodwholelife.com/about/ IG: @realfoodwholelife   Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com

Does wellness feel hard? Sometimes unattainable? And like everyone else knows how to achieve it, but it’s just not that way for you?   Top-rated podcast host, creator of Real Food Whole Life, and author of the hot-off-the-press book, The Feel Good Effect: Reclaim Your Wellness by Finding Small Shifts that Create Big Change, Robyn Conley Downs believes that you don't have to be miserable getting healthier, and you can do it with ease.   After years of struggling with impossibly high standards, Robyn hit a breaking point and realized her constant striving was ironically making her feel not good. From there, she not only shifted her own mindset, but she also merged her research-backed knowledge with her personal lessons and transformed these findings into the Feel Good Effect Method.   In this episode, Robyn shares how she helps tens of thousands of people find a way out of perfectionism, all or nothing thinking, and comparison. You’ll also learn how to become resilient in the face of negative emotions, the danger of toxic positivity, the science behind gratitude, the two main ingredients to feel good, and SO MUCH more.   Tune in and let Robyn’s motto “less striving, more ease” help you redefine wellness, on your own terms!   Resources: Robyns New Book: The Feel Good Effect Website: Real Food Whole Life Episode Show Notes Elise’s Website: elisemuseles.com Follow Elise on Instagram: @kaleandchocolate

Robyn Downs is the founder of the mission-driven media and education brand, Real Food Whole Life, creator of the Feel Good Effect Mindset & Method, and author of the upcoming book, The Feel Good Effect. Holding a Master’s degree in education with an emphasis in behavior change, and 4 years of public policy & health change at the doctoral level, her work taps into cutting edge science around mindset, strategies and habits; and how people create and sustain lasting wellness. She combines this professional research background with work as a certified yoga teacher, specializing in mindfulness and self-compassion, to share science-based, life-tested, radically simple solutions to help people feel good. When not writing or speaking, Robyn can be found behind the mic of her Apple-top rated Feel Good Effect podcast, in the kitchen creating simple real food recipes, hiking, reading, or practicing yoga. Recently named one of the Most Influential Women in Wellness, she lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, Andrew, and their daughter Elle. So, I adore Robyn and this conversation. This woman is so incredibly humble and has accomplished SOOOO much in her professional life— most of all in her amazing business. I can’t wait for you to hear how she moved through her biggest insecurities to create a deeply aligned body of work. In this episode, she shares her past life in the academic world, the moment she woke up and realized she wasn’t happy with it, and why wellness felt like the perfect thing to pour her energy into, the ways she had to check her tendency to push and strive as she became a yoga and mindfulness teacher, upped her wellness routine, and more so that she didn’t burn out, her experience starting a food blog as an introvert and her struggle with putting herself out on social media, and how she was able to get past that barrier in order to have an authentic online presence, why neuroscience is such a big part of her approach to wellness and how taking action despite fear over and over again will quite literally change your brain, and shift your ability to do uncomfortable things more often, the journey busting her butt to build her blog to 1 million views per month, what it was like for her to realize she needed to pivot her content and business model away from only food, and how shifting resulted in a follower loss and why she was ok with that, why showing up as her true self, creating an aligned business, and putting herself out there is what ultimately got her an amazing book deal, and so much more!   To learn more about Robyn Downs and the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.   Follow Me On: Facebook Instagram

Link to listener survey: https://survey.libsyn.com/minimalistmomspodcast (Thank you so much for taking the time to fill this out!) Also, follow me over @theminimalistmomspodcast on Instagram! Share the podcast with a friend, too! ------------------------------------- This week, I bring you my conversation with fellow podcaster, Robyn Conley Downs. Robyn is founder of the mission-driven media and education brand, Real Food Whole Life, and creator of the Feel Good Effect Mindset & Method. Holding a Master’s degree in education with an emphasis in behavior change, and 4 years of public policy & health change at the doctoral level, her work taps into cutting edge science around mindset, strategies and habits; and how people create and sustain lasting wellness. She combines this professional research background with work as a certified yoga teacher, specializing in mindfulness and self-compassion, to share science-based, life-tested, radically simple solutions to help people feel good. Today we'll discuss her 'four r framework' - creating habits around four times of day: early morning, midday, afternoon and evening. I cannot wait for you to hear this one! Find all the resources mentioned in this show: Show Notes for EP108: The Four R Framework Let's keep the conversation going on our Facebook page or Instagram!  Episode Sponsored By: Betterhelp

Ready to simplify your life, make choices from a place of trust, and learn how to not be so hard on yourself? What if you could find an easier approach to feeling good that doesn’t seem so challenging? Creator of Real Food Whole Life and host of the top-rated podcast The Feel Good Effect, Robyn Conley Downs, has scientific proof that there is a gentler (but effective) way to stop overcomplicating life and start living with self-compassion and self-trust! Robyn uses her research to help tens of thousands of people find radically simple solutions and gentle wellness in real life.   In this episode, Robyn shares her journey of struggling with impossibly high standards and constant overwhelm to shifting her own mindset by adopting the motto: gentle is the new perfect. Merging her years of cutting-edge research with her personal experiences, Robyn explains a better way to think about balance, an easy to follow rule to make healthy habits consistent, a science-backed way to let go of perfectionism, all or nothing thinking, toxic comparison, and more! Tune in and let Robyn inspire you to be kinder to yourself and take actionable baby steps that work!

It’s all great to educate and inspire based on personal experience, but it’s also great to have solid profesh research to back that jazzzz up. My guest today brings both to the table full of healthy food.. and to this energizing chat. Robyn Downes is the creator of Real Food Whole Life, and the host of the top-rated Feel Good Effect podcast who also holds a Master’s degree in education with an emphasis in behavior change who, at the doctoral level has researched the crap out of how people create and sustain lasting wellness. What I heart most about Robyn is not just her willingness to be honest and vulnerable about her shtuff, not just her mission to embody and amplify a gentle approach to wellness, (hence her motto, #gentleisthenewperfect), but her super nerdy professional research background which she draws on to share cutting edge science-based, (and life-tested) radically simple solutions for wellness. I think this couldn’t be sexier. She says the opposite. I’ll let you listen and be the sexy judge.   Get amped to hear: The sexiest meal planning advice you’ve ever heard. Truly. How to stop feeling like a failure and instead, start feeling in control of your mental and physical wellness. Why self care is so not that hard and how to simplify it! The three components that make up a “striving mindset” (which are probs blocking you from achieving your goals). How to nix the all-or-nothing approach that leads to quitting! Why gentle is the new perfect. What “the essential six” are and how they’ll simplify your grocery shopping and cooking. And lots more!   Links related to this episode: The full show notes with all the deets from this episode! Where to buy Four Sigmatic Shroom Products and save 15% with code: “PARTYINMYPLANTS” Try Thrive Market and get an EXTRA 25% off your first purchase AND a FREE 30 day trial & check out my favorite products Get my FREE #EATMOREPLANTS course! Where I’d much appreciate you leaving a review for the show in iTunes!! How to work 1-on-1 with me! Where you can go to submit a question for the show! Where you can go to suggest a guest (yourself or someone else) for the show! How to work 1-on-1 with me! Party in My Plants on Instagram Party in My Plants on Facebook Party in My Plants’ Cooking Videos on YouTube Audio Producer Of The Show - Oleksandr Hedz

Do you feel like you’re constantly not measuring up when it comes to taking care of your own health & wellness? In this episode with Robyn Conley Downs of Real Food Whole Life, we’re talking all about gentle wellness and how it can help you to be more successful in your health goals. She gives sustainable strategies for eating healthy and movement that you can fit into even the busiest schedule. We talk about the three traps that we get stuck in with wellness and what we can do instead. Finally, we also talk about the tension between accepting your post baby body and using your feelings to make some changes to take care of yourself. Highlights: Robyn’s health journey and how it led to Real Food Whole Life What the gentle wellness revolution is and how it can help you take care of yourself The three traps that we get stuck in with wellness How our all or nothing approach to diet specifically leads to weight gain and why you’re better off doing nothing than a diet Tactical tips for eating healthier without feeling overwhelmed How to fit in movement now that your life looks different after having kids Redefining what you think “counts” for exercise Pockets of time where you might be able to fit in movement Ways to think about it if you don’t love your post-baby body How paring can help you be successful in your wellness goals Today’s Guest: Robyn Conley Downs is founder of the mission-driven media and education brand, Real Food Whole Life, and producer-host of the Apple top-rated Feel Good Effect podcast. Holding a Master’s degree in education with an emphasis in behavior change, and 4 years of public policy & health change at the doctoral level, her work taps into cutting edge science around how people create and sustain lasting wellness. She combines this professional research background with work as a certified yoga teacher, specializing in mindfulness and self-compassion, to share science-based, life-tested, radically simple solutions for wellness. Robyn is a wife and working mama with a mission to embody and amplify the gentle approach to wellness, and lives by her motto, #gentleisthenewperfect. Her writing and speaking resonate with tens of thousands of readers and listeners each week via her robust following. As host of the Feel Good Effect podcast, she has attracted an engaged and loyal listener base, hosting top wellness innovators and thought-leaders such as Gretchen Rubin, Dr. Kristin Neff, Laila Ali, Jonathan Fields, Kathryn Budig, Dr. Rick Hanson, Kelly LeVeque, and Kate Fagan. Downs’s work has been featured in Huffpost, Buzzfeed, Shape.com, among others, and she is a frequent guest on podcasts and wellness websites. Robyn lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and research partner, Andrew, and their daughter Elle. Resources: Beat the Sunday Blues newsletter realfoodwholelife.com @realfoodwholelifeon Instagram Real Food Whole Life Community Facebook Group John Acuff Episode on Feel Good Effect

After discovering she could alleviate many of her health issues by consuming higher-quality foods, Emily Johnson got creative in the kitchen. As researching nutrition and its effects on our lives grew into an insatiable passion, Emily left her high-stress marketing job in favor of pursuing a Masters in Holistic Nutrition. Her recently launched Village Nutrition Company focuses on building community and helping families “find health through whole foods." Whether you have picky kids, toddlers just beginning to eat solid foods, family members with dietary restrictions, or symptoms that keep you from feeling your best, Emily and her organization offer wonderful insight and suggestions for moving your family towards better health through food. Join us for Creative Mama [Episode 19] as Emily details her exploration into the world of whole foods, simplifying the meal-planning process and encouraging all of us to listen to our bodies and find a way of eating that meets the needs of our unique families. *** People, Places & Things In This Episode: Resources Emily loves: Nourished Beginnings cookbook Real Food Whole Life website Veggies & Virtue website Oh Baby Nutrition website The Kitchn recipe website Connect with Emily: Website Instagram ***FUNDRAISER DETAILS: To get involved with Emily’s 30th Birthday Fundraiser and help provide healthy meals and nutrition education to families in the Portland, Oregon area, contact Emily for details here. *** Some of Creative Mamas’s favorite healthy eating tools (because having quality tools keeps the chore of meal prep from feeling like such an arduous task): A great article on “cooking up” and exposing our kids to new foods. Instant Pot (6 qt) Instant Pot (8 qt) Paleo Instant Pot recipes (one of our favorite IP cookbooks, even if you don’t follow a paleo diet) Baby-Led Weaning Book (a simple approach to introducing your baby to solid food) Spiralizer for making veggie noodles Lunch boxes and snack boxes for meal prep and kids’ food Oxo pepper mill Silicone spatulas Lodge cast iron skillet (10.25”)

Friends –  I'm so excited to introduce you to Robyn Conley Downs. Robyn is the founder of Real Food Whole Life, a multi-media wellness lifestyle brand with a mission to provide simplified solutions for real life wellness. In this podcast episode, she delivers on that mission. We talk about what mindset really is, how yours might be holding you back, and the things you can do in and out the kitchen to simplify your health and your life.  Join me and Robyn to learn: The three different types of wellness personalities and how to find out which one you are Why gentle is the new perfect and what that looks like in everyday life What mindset actually is and how it affects the decisions you make in and out of the kitchen How to make a healthy meal that tastes good in next to no time What meal maps are and how to use her “essential six” to construct them You can get in touch with Robyn on all the socials through Real Food Whole Life. Also: To find out what wellness personality you are, take the quiz at http://www.realfoodwholelife.com/quiz. To learn about meal planning myths, stop by http://www.realfoodwholelife.com/blog/5-meal-planning-myths-and-why-its-not-as-complicated-as-you-think   To create a capsule pantry, read http://www.realfoodwholelife.com/blog/how-to-create-a-capsule-pantry-for-simplified-cooking   To check out her recipes, visit http://www.realfoodwholelife.com/recipes/ To hear her podcast on mindset, listen here: http://www.realfoodwholelife.com/feelgoodeffect/what-is-mindset-what-its-not-how-5-ways-to-shift-it 

Resources/Links from today’s episode: We love this podcast by Real Food Whole Life that also dives into simplifying meal planning Recipe idea: Try out the super easy chicken and veggie soup in the Instant Pot by Civilized Caveman Chicken that Sarah made Just for fun: The Day You Were Born - SNL skit with Amy Schumer Get your FREE GUIDE to a Kickass Morning Ritual  Join the conversation on Instagram or Facebook Be sure you are subscribed to this podcast to automatically receive your episodes: iTunes Google Play Spotify YouTube www.valleyandbeach.com Please note, the advice and opinions in the Valley + Beach: Grains of Goodness podcast is intended for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical care or advice. Please always consult your medical professional for your specific health concerns. Click here to follow us on Social Media and receive your freebie!

Many of us fall victim to the “all or nothing” mentality when it comes to our efforts to lose weight, or get healthy. As someone in recovery from perfectionism, from multiple back surgeries, from an eating disorder, and from subscribing to other people’s standards for my body, this is something I’ve had a great deal of personal experience with. If you had asked me 10 years ago if I was a perfectionist, I probably would have said, “fuck no.” I didn’t see myself as a perfectionist because I thought that being a perfectionist means that you are perfect. But I began to slowly recognize the ways that I was sabotaging my own success by holding myself to incredibly high standards. In this episode I share my own personal journey to acknowledge, and overcome, my own perfectionism. I’ve learned how to harness my tendency to set really aggressive goals, and hold myself to a very high standard. Now, it’s your turn! Key takeaways: * Episode 002, with Robyn Downs, brought up this topic and is an excellent primer for this topic! * Trying too hard to do things perfectly means you sometimes don’t do them at all * Perfectionists aren’t necessarily people that are “perfect” * Unrealistic standards of body “perfection” are perfectionist kryptonite * The hard fall from “badass” female athlete to a gimp recovering from back surgery * The start / stop, perfectionist method to recovering from multiple back surgeries (not recommended) * The nasty things we tell ourselves when we don’t attain perfection * Internalizing “failure” to achieve perfect standards robs you of the chance to make gradual improvement * Experimentation and failing forward are key to creating a life, a routine, and an experience that feels good to you * Perfection doesn’t enable your success, it can actually hinder it! * How I’ve managed to harness my perfectionist tendencies to create positive change   Mentioned in this episode:   Healthy at Any Size podcast Episode 002 Robyn Downs, of Real Food Whole Life and The Feel Good Effect My history with eating disorders My recovery from multiple back surgeries Gouveia International Talent Management   Share the Body Love!   Share what you learned here via Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter   Subscribe on iTunes and leave a review. I love hearing what you have to say!   Post your own experiences, thoughts, and feedback to social media using the hashtag #healthyatanysize!   Subscribe on iTunes and leave a review. I love hearing what you have to say! Post your own experiences, thoughts, and feedback to social media using the hashtag #healthyatanysize!

Robyn Downs is the researcher, educator, storyteller and mama behind her blog, Real Food Whole Life and The Feel Good Effect podcast! She is a working mom and a woman in the real world who is trying to balance the demands of her life with creating a healthy lifestyle for herself and her family. In this episode, Robyn shares her own personal journey to creating this healthy balance. She encourages us all to examine our goals in a different way, to let go of perfectionism, and to infuse all of our self-improvement efforts with an oft-overlooked success factor: self-compassion!   Key takeaways: Robyn’s journey to a healthy pregnancy, and getting healthy during early mom life By walking away from something, you give yourself the space to say yes to something else Taking those small steps builds momentum to be able to say, “this isn’t serving me anymore” The two main challenges for women trying to live a healthy lifestyle Moving away from someone else’s prescriptive plan of perfection Setting incremental goals as opposed to always aiming for perfection Living with that shame spiral and guilt of not being able to achieve “perfection”  Self-compassion as jet fuel for your transformation Changing your mindset so that you can actually be happy right now! Modeling the behavior we want our children to exhibit when it comes to how we talk about our bodies Cutting ourselves off from any influences (magazines, social media, etc.) that feed our negative self-perception   Mentioned in this episode: Real Food Whole Life The Feel Good Effect How to Create a Wellness Routine (with Goal Setting Activity)   Share the Body Love! Share what you learned here via Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter Subscribe on iTunes and leave a review. I love hearing what you have to say! Post your own experiences, thoughts, and feedback to social media using the hashtag #healthyatanysize!

The Feel Good Effect podcast is about deconstructing and simplifying healthy, to help you live a happy, authentic, inspired life. Each week you’ll find a new episode with health & wellness thought-leaders and visionaries who are thinking about health just a little differently. My hope is that the show will give you inspiration to live your healthiest life, along with specific tactics, habits, and mindsets to make health & happiness practical and doable.  In the first episode I’m sharing my personal health story (along with some never-before shared details), and how I came to this place of starting a podcast. I’m also breaking down what you can expect in each episode. My hope is that you will absolutely love the show, and find a way to work it into your weekly wellness routine. I can’t wait to connect with you and discuss what it really means to be healthy. Here’s to feeling good!   Show notes and resources: realfoodwholelife.com Connect on Instagram: @realfoodwholelife Facebook @realfoodwholelife   To help the show: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help more people find the show and I personally read each one. Subscribe on iTunes.