Today we are chatting with astrology expert Bess Matassa from Mojave Rising. I legitimately have never been as excited to interview anyone as I was to have Bess on the podcast! She’s an astrology expert who doesn’t just predict what your next week will look like but rather helps you get in touch with your birth chart signs and live a life that embraces and accentuates these qualities.
If you want to learn more about what is a birth chart, how you discover yours, or what if you don’t feel like your assigned sun sign fits your personality, this episode is for you. Bess also put together an in-depth analysis of each sign and how you can support your health based on your assigned sign.

You'll hear about:
-Bess's journey and how she got into astrology
-What is a birth chart and how does it differ from the 12 astrological signs we’re familiar with?
-What happens if you don’t feel like your personality matches your sign?
-What are the creative tensions in your chart and how can you use these to achieve your full potential?
-How do the transits of the stars affect your life during different times of the year?
-Why do we naturally gravitate towards friendships and relationships with certain signs?
-What is Saturn Return and how can we prepare for it?
-Is there such thing as “being on the cusp” of a sign?
-How different signs can use different wellness practices to support their health
-The one health-habit she can't live without
-Who she looks up to in business
-What she would tell her 20 year old self
-What she hopes her 50 year old self tells her

Join the Healthy Maven Tribe to ask guests questions and find out who will be on the show before anyone else! http://facebook.com/groups/THMTribe
Please don’t forget to rate + review in iTunes if you love the podcast. Your comments and subscriptions help us make the best podcast for you!

Follow Bess:

Website: http://www.mojaverising.com/

Bess has generously offered THM readers and listeners 10% off a birth chart reading! Just use the code COSMICMAVEN at checkout when signing up on her site!

Facebook: https://facebook.com/mojaverising

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mojave_rising/

Today we are chatting with entrepreneur Kati Holland from Pearl Butter. Once I met Kati through mutual friends, I knew I wanted to share her health journey and the inspiration behind Pearl Butter with you on the show.
If you want to learn more about adaptogens, how to manage your mental health while dealing with chronic illness, or starting your own business, this episode is for you!

You'll hear about:
-Kati’s own health journey and why she launched Pearl Butter
-What alternative methods Kati used to try and manage her compromised lymphatic system
-What is a compromised lymphatic system and what it means to your health?
-Why mental health is important if you're dealing with a chronic illness
-The different types of butters and how they can benefit your health
-What is an adaptogen and how to incorporate them into your diet
-What originally turned Kati off about adaptogens and what inspired her to create her own product
-Why she wants wellness to be "fun"
-What is in an adaptogens and what is in Kati's products?
-What it takes to launch a product from idea to conception
-What ingredients are in Pearl Butters and what are the different types?
-What mistakes she has made in the past and how she's learning from them
-What background she had in business before starting Pearl Butter
-How her story is incorporated in the products
-Struggles she’s had in launching the product
-What wellness buzz words does Kati not love and how she wants to change the wellness world
-What she sees next for Pearl Butter
-Why she chose to focus on such a colorful product and if she worries the “unicorn trend” will pass
-The one health-habit she can't live without
-Who she looks up to in business
-What she would tell her 20 year old self
-What she hopes her 50 year old self tells her

Join the Healthy Maven Tribe to ask guests questions and find out who will be on the show before anyone else! http://facebook.com/groups/THMTribe
Please don’t forget to rate + review in iTunes if you love the podcast. Your comments and subscriptions help us make the best podcast for you!

GIVEAWAY!

Kati has graciously offered one That’s So Maven listener a Pearl Butter prize pack featuring one of each Pearl Butter Flavor! To enter, follow Pearl Butter and The Healthy Maven on Instagram and then drop your username below. For a bonus entry, leave a review of the podcast on iTunesand leave another comment with the username you used to enter below. Giveaway closes on Wednesday July 5th, 2017 at 12:00AM PST. Only available to US residents.

Follow Kati:

Buy Pearl Butter: https://www.pearlbutter.com/collections/butters/products/beauty-butter (use code THEHEALTHYMAVEN for 15% off!)

Facebook: https://facebook.com/PearlButterShop/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pearlbutter/

Today I'm answering YOUR questions! After 6 months of interviews with other health and wellness professionals, I thought I’d turn the interviewing over to you guys and let you ask me anything!

Here are the questions I'm answering:
-What did you study in school? Where did you go to university?
-Did you study nutrition?
-How did you and C meet?
-What are yours and C’s love languages?
-What made you decide to move to a California and how have you found being in a new place?
-How is Bodhi so well trained?
-Was there a moment when you said “enough is enough”?
-What are your tips to begin intuitive eating and exercise?
-What was the trigger for you to get healthy both mentally and physically?
-What has helped you to be more confident in who you are and love your body?
-Do you have any tips on finding your own healthy and not just following what others say is healthy?
-How do you remove yourself from long term friendships / and or family members you know you don’t benefit from anymore?
-How do you stay positive?
-What are your favorite homemade face masks?
-What do you see next for The Healthy Maven?

Books I mention // Blog posts I mention:
Five Love Languages: http://amzn.to/1YsdL9f

Moving to California: http://bit.ly/2re9iea

The Art of Training a Puppy: http://amzn.to/2jCUzrY
Join the Healthy Maven Tribe to ask guests questions and find out who will be on the show before anyone else! http://facebook.com/groups/THMTribe
Please don’t forget to rate + review in iTunes if you love the podcast. Your comments and subscriptions help us make the best podcast for you!

Today's episode is around a topic I've wanted to tackle on the blog for a while — mental health. Our guest Erin’s journey is nothing short of inspiring. What she has been through may be surprising to all of you, but her honesty and wisdom gained made her the perfect the guest for today’s episode where we explore more about the topic of mental health.

You'll hear about:
-Erin’s history with addiction and substance abuse
-How she hid her addiction to everyone who cared about her
-What her wake up call was to get help
-What the part of her story is the hardest to tell
-How she tells her story now and when she brings it up
-How she handles not drinking in social situations
-How to be sensitive to those with addiction and what to say if you know someone struggling
-How her addiction to drugs and alcohol morphed into disordered eating and exercise addiction
-Entering into therapy and coming to terms with her depression
-Medication and when it’s the best course of action for mental health
-What she wants people who have someone they love dealing with addiction to know
-How her workout routine has changed throughout the years
-Why she started her blog and how it’s evolved over time
-How fitness has helped her in her recovery
-When the book is coming (!!!) and how she’s encouraging herself to work on it
-The one health-habit she can’t live without
-Who she looks up to in business
-What she would tell her 20 year old self
-What she hopes her 20 year old self tells her

Join the Healthy Maven Tribe to ask guests questions and find out who will be on the show before anyone else! http://facebook.com/groups/THMTribe
Please don’t forget to rate + review in iTunes if you love the podcast. Your comments and subscriptions help us make the best podcast for you!

Follow Erin:

Blog: http://erinsinsidejob.com/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/erinsinsidejob

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinsinsidejob/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/erinsinsidejob

Today's episode is for anyone who has ever struggled with their skin, whether it's acne-prone or dry or just general health of the largest tissue in our body.

I’ve seen some great improvement in my hormonal acne is because of the skincare products I’m using. As someone with dry, sensitive skin that is also acne-prone, it’s been tough finding products that work for me. While I’ve found a few I love and continue to use, none of them even compare to my loyalty to Luminance Skincare.

From their masks, to their cleansers to their acne serum, I’m not only in love with their products, but have found they work wonders for my skin.

You'll hear about: 

-Kim’s background as an engineer and how he found himself as a natural skincare expert     

-What group of people have the best skin in the world and what he learned from them to produce his skincare products

-Regulations in skincare products in the United States

-Toxins to lookout for in conventional skincare

-Why it's so important to not use synthetic products on our body and on our skin

-Why the cosmetic market hasn't went organic or taken over the natural skincare space 

-Why you should read skincare labels like you read food labels

-What to do if you see an ingredient you have a question about on a skincare product 

-What is "green-washing" and what that means for the beauty industry 

-How your skin works and why it's a barrier for toxins 

-How he discovered, which plant-based oils work well for different skin types

-Anti-aging products and if they actually work

-Why “oil-free” products are not great for our skin

-What black heads and pimples really are 

-What three products you should start with when switching your skincare routine

-How you can try Luminance Skincare’s products FOR FREE 

-Products for acne-prone and sensitive skin

-What the growth of Luminance Skincare looks like 

-The one health habit Kim can't live without 

-Who Kim looks up to in business 

-What advice would give his 20 year old self 

Join the Healthy Maven Tribe to ask guests questions and find out who will be on the show before anyone else! http://facebook.com/groups/THMTribe

Please don’t forget to rate + review in iTunes if you love the podcast. Your comments and subscriptions help us make the best podcast for you!

Follow Luminance Skincare:

Website: https://luminanceskincare.com/

**Use the code “HEALTHYMAVEN” at checkout and you’ll receive 15% your purchase from their online shop! My favorites are their exfoliating mask, delicate cleanser and acne serum!

Facebook: https://facebook.com/luminanceskincare/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luminanceskincare/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/luminanceskinca

Today's episode is for anyone has tried changing their body by restricting their calories, eliminating whole macronutrients or other dangerous decisions that loop them into the diet-binge cycle that (I can assure you) will never end.

For example — you know the feeling, when you've just eaten a couple sweet treats or a bag of chips and suddenly you get hit by ravenous hunger and cravings for more. Our blood sugar doesn't always communicate with our hunger signals and even though we may have just eaten a ton, our blood sugar has not gotten the memo.
But not everyone has gone through this journey or understands our bodies reaction to carbs and how to regulate our blood sugar. Luckily for us, Kelly LeVeque from Be Well By Kelly is here to break it all down for you. She's a nutritionist, whose understanding of food and our bodies reaction to it is approachable and demystifying.

She uses plenty of analogies and examples to help her clients (and now you guys!) understand the science behind nutrition so that eventually these decisions can be intuitive for you too!

You’ll hear about:
-What made Kelly interested in health
-Kelly's own journey and her unconventional route to a career in nutrition
-How many streams of income a business person told Kelly she needed to have
-What getting a book deal for Body Love looked like
-What her day-to-day schedule looks like
-What type of clients Kelly LeVeque works with
-What Kelly is really trying to teach her clients to do
-Why extreme over-correcting on your diet backfires
-The science behind the different foods we nourish our bodies with
-Carbs, sugar and what can we ADD to our plates to stabilize our blood sugar
-How does insulin work and why it's important to understand it
-What to do when you "overdo" it
-Where you store carbs in your body
-Why we need to differentiate our stores of energy
-How to get over food anxiety and food guilt and find more balance in your meals
-Why calorie counting is archaic and not an effective weight-loss practice
-Ketones and why using fat as an energy source is beneficial for our bodies
-How to emotionally unconnect to one meal so you can stabilize your insulin
-Why you should focus on the quality of your food, NOT calorie count (there's a shopping analogy there!)
-Kelly's holy-grail foods
-Kelly's one piece of weight loss advice
-The one health habit Kelly can't live without
-Who she looks up to in business
-What she would tell their 20 year old self
-What she hopes her 50 year old self tells her

Join the Healthy Maven Tribe to ask guests questions and find out who will be on the show before anyone else! http://facebook.com/groups/THMTribe

Please don’t forget to rate + review in iTunes if you love the podcast. Your comments and subscriptions help us make the best podcast for you!

Follow Kelly:

Website: http://bewellbykelly.com/

Pre-order her book, Body Love: http://amzn.to/2poBmNy

Facebook: https://facebook.com/bewellbykelly

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewellbykelly/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KellyLeVeque

Episode 17: What's the Deal with Crystals and Do They Actually Work? with Timmi and Heather from Energy Muse

Today's episode might be a little controversial. I wanted to learn more about crystals and when Timmi and Heather from Energy Muse offered their services to help clear up my and your misconceptions when it comes to crystals, I couldn't say no.

Timmi and Heather are total crystal experts. They own a crystal shop in LA that's been open for 17 years. They also have a book coming out in October that's all about crystal healing for your various ailments and struggles. After chatting with them I know I'll be buying the book.

You’ll hear about:
-How they got into crystals and started Energy Muse
-How Timmi got background on all parts of running a business
-How Heather became attracted to the world of energy
-What Energy Muse's early days looked like
-Do crystals really work?
-The historical background of crystals
-How crystals are already incorporated into your life
-Why some crystals feel different than others
-How crystals are a common denominator between all people
-What crystal healing actually means and how it works
-Why crystals are making a resurgence
-Activating your crystals and caring for them after use
-Where did the uses of different crystals originate?
-The unexpected side effects of using crystals
-The true goal of using crystals
-Ways to incorporate crystals into your lives
-Picking the right crystals and whether or not they "call to you"
-Is there a benefit to wearing crystals?
-Their new crystal recipe book and what crystal recipes entail
-How they incorporate crystals into their own lives.
-The one health habit they can't live without
-Who they look up to in business
-What they would tell their 20 year old selves
-What they hope their 50 year old selves tell them

Join the Healthy Maven Tribe to ask guests questions and find out who will be on the show before anyone else! http://facebook.com/groups/THMTribe
Please don’t forget to rate + review in iTunes if you love the podcast. Your comments and subscriptions help us make the best podcast for you!

Follow Timmi and Heather:

Website: https://www.energymuse.com/ P.S. Use the code “HEALTHYMAVEN” at checkout and you’ll receive 20% your purchase from their online shop!

Facebook: https://facebook.com/energymuse

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/energymuse/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/energymuse

Today we’re chatting with Phoebe Lapine from Feed Me Phoebe. Phoebe wanted to figure out how to do right by her body without having to give up her life. It's important to live healthfully, not live for your health.
Phoebe captured her journey of a yearlong exploration of this topic and how she was learning to balance health and hedonism on her blog. She is also releasing a book, The Wellness Project that tracks her entire journey and lessons learned.

You’ll hear about:
-Phoebe's journey before The Wellness Project and what led her to want to commit herself to this project
-How Phoebe was able to go from a corporate career to a career in food
-Her diagnosis of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and how it became a wake-up call for her.
-Why Phoebe didn't want to be on a synthetic medication for the rest of her life.
-Why Hashimoto's Thyroiditis typically makes people gain weight
-What finally made Phoebe decide to treat her autoimmune disorder
-What led her to want to capture her journey and share it in a book
-How she picked the 12 topics of the book
-How Phoebe tracked her progress
-How the topics changed and morphed as the project progressed
-If there were moments Phoebe thought she wouldn't see the project through
-Which topics were the hardest to tackle and which were easier than she expected
-What medical discoveries she made during the way
-The thought that pain is sometimes caused by anxiety rather than an actual problem
-Her biggest takeaways from her experience and what lessons she learned
-Which habits she's kept up since completing the project
-Tips for how you can launch your own wellness project
-The one health habit she can't live without
-Who she looks up to in business
-What she would tell her 20 year old self
-What she hopes her 50 year old self tells her

Join the Healthy Maven Tribe to ask guests questions and find out who will be on the show before anyone else! http://facebook.com/groups/THMTribe
Please don’t forget to rate + review in iTunes if you love the podcast. Your comments and subscriptions help us make the best podcast for you!

Follow Phoebe:

Blog: https://feedmephoebe.com/

Pre-order The Wellness Project: http://amzn.to/2oLUaWs

Facebook: https://facebook.com/FeedMePhoebe

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phoebelapine/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhoebeLapine

Today we’re chatting with Brittany Mullins from Eating Bird Food. If you’ve read a health or wellness blog in the past nine years, it’s likely you’ve read EBF. What started as a virtual diary became a career for Brittany. In the process, she was diagnosed with Hypothalamic Ammenorhea, and her blog became a place to help her recover and heal.

You’ll hear about:
Brittany’s blogging journey
Why she started Eating Bird Food
When she knew she wanted to take her blog full-time
What she did once she decided to take her blog full-time
Why she think her blog has been so successful
How Brittany’s blog has changed since she started
Brittany’s best tips for bloggers
Where she thinks the blogging world is going
Brittany’s tips for new bloggers
What is Hypothalamic Ammenorhea?
How Britt was diagnosed with HA
How Britt’s lifestyle changed once she was diagnosed with HA
How exercising causes stress on your body — and how it can sometimes be a bad thing
Brittany’s journey to healing her hormones
How Brittany’s eating and exercise habits changed after her diagnosis
The power of vulnerability
How sharing her HA story online helped in her recovery
What healthy habit Britt can’t live without
Who Brittany looks up to in business
What Britt would tell her 20 year old self
What Britt hopes her 50 year old self tells her

Join the Healthy Maven Tribe to ask guests questions and find out who will be on the show before anyone else! http://facebook.com/groups/THMTribe
Please don’t forget to rate + review in iTunes if you love the podcast. Your comments and subscriptions help us make the best podcast for you!

Follow Brittany:

Blog: https://www.eatingbirdfood.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/eatingbirdfood

Instagram: http://instagram.com/eatingbirdfood

Twitter: http://twitter.com/eatingbirdfood

What are "essentials" when it comes to health? My belief is that eating your veggies, moving your body, hydrating and sleeping well make up the framework for a healthy life. Is there more to health? Absolutely. But these "add-ons" as I like to call them look so different on everyone.

Determining which products and supplements to invest in can be overwhelming. So I've decided to expand some of the conversations on the podcast to include interesting and innovative products that either I've found helpful or I'd like to learn more about.

You’ll hear us chat about:

-What prompted Sarah to become interested in bees and propolis?
-How she became a Beekeeper's apprentice
-What is propolis and how can it benefit your body?
-What historical figures used propolis
-How Europeans treat illnesses differently with natural products
-Why are bees so important?

-How is Beekeeper's Naturals different from other producers?

-What's threatening bees and what kind of impact will it have on the environment?
-What it means to be a company with a cause and how they've incorporated bee education and bee research
-Is there a difference between conventional honey and raw honey?
-What other products Beekeeper's Natural sells
-The health habit Carly can't live without
-What Carly would tell her 20-year old self
-What Carly hopes her older self tells her
-Who Carly looks up to in business

Join the Healthy Maven Tribe to ask guests questions and find out who will be on the show before anyone else! http://facebook.com/groups/THMTribe
Please don’t forget to rate + review in iTunes if you love the podcast. Your comments and subscriptions help us make the best podcast for you!

Follow Beekeeper's Naturals

Website: https://beekeepersnaturals.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeekeepersNaturals

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beekeepers_Nat
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beekeepers_naturals/

Maddy is sharing more about her own journey with black and white thinking and how she’s learned to set goals without becoming attached to the results.

Today we're talking to Megan Bruneau about her history of struggling with her body image, her battle with eating disorders and how she became apart of the eating disorder recovery community. She's come out to the other side to start helping people love themselves.

Today we're chatting with Alexis Joseph — RD, blogger and co-founder of Alchemy Juice Bar in Columbus, Ohio — about how she maintains purpose in her passions and businesses.

Join the Healthy Maven Tribe to ask guests questions and find out who will be on the show before anyone else! http://facebook.com/groups/THMTribe
Please don’t forget to rate + review in iTunes if you love the podcast. Your comments and subscriptions help us make the best podcast for you!

We talk about:
-Alexis's daily routine
-How Alexis started Hummusapien
-What her role looks like at Alchemy
-How she balances her time between the two businesses
-What self-care looks like to her
-Alexis's book recommendations!
-How Alexis uses social media to empower others
-What Alexis wishes she could "un-know" about blogging
-What Alexis is motivated by when blogging
-Growing up with the blog and how its changed
-Disordered eating and using her blog as a positive influence
-What women attribute their success to — and what they should attribute it to!
-Transitioning her blog away from just food
-What she hopes people think when they look at her blog or social media
-What habit can Alexis not give up
-Who she looks up to in business
-What Alexis would tell her 20 year old self
-What she hopes her 50 year old self tells her

Follow Alexis:
Blog: hummusapien.com
Alchemy: alchemyjuicecafe.com/
Facebook: Facebook.com/hummusapien
Twitter/Instagram: @hummusapien

Today we are chatting with Amie Valpone from The Healthy Apple.

Amie's health story is nothing short of inspiring. Over the last decade, her body has been through quite a lot and she has had to become the #1 advocate for her health. She could have wallowed in her sorrows, but instead has taken a challenging experience and turned it into lemonade for all of you. She talks about things you have never heard of (did you know there's such thing as a detoxing gene?) and how she's learned to heal her body holistically.
Join the Healthy Maven Tribe to ask guests questions and find out who will be on the show before anyone else! http://facebook.com/groups/THMTribe

Please don’t forget to rate + review in iTunes if you love the podcast. Your comments and subscriptions help us make the best podcast for you!

We talk about:
-Amie's health journey
-How her stressed out lifestyle and job affected her health
-What her healthy journey has looked like over the past 10 years
-Why Amie started The Healthy Apple
-How Amie decided to heal her body holistically
-Why Amie works with energy healers and not traditional doctors after her illness
-What are the components of energy healing and how can you incorporate it?
-What detoxing really means and how it works
-What eating cold food and drinks does for to our bodies
-Why to use your intuition when it comes to your health
-Is eating organic food really that important?
-Why organic home and beauty products are important
-The easiest and cheapest way to detox
-What the MTHFR gene is and what it means to be missing it
-How Amie is "re-entering" the world after her health traumas.
-What habit can Amie not give up
-Who she looks up to in business
-What Amie would tell her 17 year old self
-What Amie hopes her 50 year old self tells her

Follow Amy
Book: http://bit.ly/2nhyhiy
Blog: thehealthyapple.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/thehealthyapple
Instagram/Twitter: @thehealthyapple

I also give you an update of where we are in settling down in San Francisco and we recap how we met in Israel! 

Follow Sarah:
Blog: http://bromabakery.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/bromabakery 
Instagram/Twitter: @bromabakery

Join the Healthy Maven Tribe to ask guests questions and find out who will be on the show before anyone else! http://facebook.com/groups/THMTribe

Please don’t forget to rate + review in iTunes if you love the podcast. Your comments and subscriptions help us make the best podcast for you!

Today we are talking to Katie Dalebout from the "Let It Out" podcast and book.

I give you an update on the last 6 months of my life and how I'm finally feeling creatively inspired again.

This podcast is for anyone who is dealing with comparing themselves to others, dealing with feeling uninspired when it comes to your work and Shine Theory.

We talk about:
-What inspired Katie to begin her podcast.
-How her podcast has evolved since she started podcasting in 2013
-How to deal with competitiveness in blogging and creative endeavors.
-What is Shine Theory?
-Why comparison brings you down.
-Why you should reach out to people you admire.
-How helping people you admire will benefit you in the long run.
-How you can get inspiration from other people and why that's okay.
-How journaling can help you work through comparison from her book on journaling, Let It Out. (Exercise below!)
-How being present helps you stop playing the comparison game.
-Why we feel jealousy and what those feelings mean.
-How to use journaling to work through things you are dealing with.
-What spurred the change in name from "Wellness Wonderland" to "Let It Out"
-Davida's episode of "Let It Out": https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/let-it-out-katie-dalebout-previously-wellness-wonderland/id669216566?mt=2&i=1000380376550
-What podcasts Katie is listening to
-The Cookbook Deal: https://itun.es/us/3DiThb.c
-What books Katie is reading
-What healthy habit Katie can't live without
-Who Katie looks up to in business
-What Katie would tell her 17 year old self
-What Katie hopes her 50 year old self tells her.

Follow Katie:
Website: http://katiedalebout.com/
Podcast: https://itun.es/us/2824N.c
Book: http://amzn.to/2lSNCCA
Facebook: http://Facebook.com/thewellnesswonderland
Twitter: http://twitter.com/katiedalebout
Instagram: http://instagram.com/katiedalebout

Shine Theory: http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/05/shine-theory-how-to-stop-female-competition.html

NO. 18
THE WAY OUT OF COMPARE & DESPAIR: “Concern Yourself with You”

When I was a kid, my mom would constantly tell me something that sticks with me to this day. It became a mantra I used in elementary school, carried on to high school, and still use today well into adulthood. When I found myself constantly making choices based on other kids, my mom would say to me, “Concern yourself with you.”

Comparison is an easy trap to get caught in. With the advent of social media long after my mom first uttered the epic “Concern yourself with you” mantra, I wonder if perhaps she was predicting what was to come in an era where comparing yourself to other peoples’ highlight reels is easier and more addictive than ever.

Have you ever gone on a social stalking binge of someone, and next thing you know you’re so far down their Instagram feed that your thumbs hurt from scrolling and you pray they won’t slip and accidentally double-tap a photo, “liking” it and revealing how deep into their past you’ve scrolled? (Um, yeah . . . clearly that’s too specific to not be an autobiographical example.) Anyway, after talking with countless people I realized I wasn’t alone, and this comparison game is rampant.

I found myself giving the same advice to my friends and clients that my mom gave me long ago.

This tool guides us to take my mom’s advice and quit the compare-and-despair game we so often default to. Whether it's a mentor, a guru, a celebrity, your accomplished friend from high school, or your ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend, comparing yourself keeps you stuck and makes you feel less than.

Conan O’Brien once said in a commencement speech at Dartmouth that comedians of his generation desperately wanted to be the next David Letterman. He remarked, “It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique.” I found that to be a deeply profound lesson of authenticity. We have to concern ourselves with our own truth, and not try to emulate anyone else’s.

The bottom line is that whenever you’re comparing yourself to others, you’re not concerned with you. The interesting thing is, the more you are yourself, the more attractive you become. This tool guides you to instead use who you’re comparing yourself to as a guide for something you want more of within yourself, which probably isn’t being fully expressed.

Directions:

• Step 1: Make a list of the people you most

compare yourself to. Then examine how you’re

separating yourself by answering these two

questions for each person on your list (if there

are several people, choose just one or two for this

exercise today):

a) Are you making yourself “more special”

or “better” than those you are comparing

yourself to? If yes, move on to Step 2.

b) Are you making yourself “less special” or

“worse” than those you’re comparing yourself

to? That is, are you regarding them as better

than you or more special by either idolizing

them or feeling jealousy toward them? If yes,

move on to Step 3.

• Step 2: Answer the following questions in your

journal if you answered “yes” to question (a)

above:

• What is it within you that feels insecurity around

this person you’re comparing yourself to?

• What is it within you that makes you feel like

you need to perceive yourself as better than

him or her?

• In what ways are you both equal?

• How can you see him or her with love instead?

When you’re done, move on to Step 4.

• Step 3: Answer the following questions in your

journal if you answered “yes” to question (b)

above:

• What are the specific qualities or attributes

that you find most inspiring about this person

you’re comparing yourself to?

• What is he or she mirroring back to you

regarding qualities that are within you but are

perhaps unawakened?

• How can you look at him or her as a positive

example of inspiration?

• How can you embrace ways you are unique

from him or her and love those qualities about

yourself?

• In what ways are you both equal?

• Can you find common humanity with him or

her?

• Step 4: Now concern yourself with you. Write a

sentence about yourself in the third person as

if someone else were admiring you. This is your

time to toot your own horn, which may feel

uncomfortable. It does for me, but I’ll take one

for the team and give you an example: “Katie is

an awesome podcast host, really kills it on the

ukulele, knows how to write a mean journal

prompt, and has an adorable little dog.” See

there, that wasn’t so bad—give it a go!

• Bonus step: Tweet your 140-character horn toot at

me (@katiedalebout)! I want to see how awesome

you are.

Join the Healthy Maven Tribe to ask guests questions and find out who will be on the show before anyone else! http://facebook.com/groups/THMTribe 

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Today we're talking with Alexis Davidson, author of both the cookbook (my favorite of 2016!) and blog Lexi's Clean Kitchen! This podcast is for anyone who wants to learn more about how to eat to feel your best mentally and physically, where to find delicious, healthy recipes, what goes into making a cookbook and more.

I also give you a life update on what's going on with my move to San Francisco and how I'm feeling about leaving Toronto.

We talk about:
-What ailments prompted Lexi to change her diet.
-Why Lexi started her blog.
-What foods she cut out to reduce inflammation in her body.
-How she healed her body with food.
-How a functional doctor helped her heal her candida and leaky gut.
-What types of tests go into determining food sensitivities.
-Why she doesn't label her blog or lifestyle.
-The process behind Lexi's Clean Kitchen cookbook and why it was unconventional.
-Why Lexi decided to wait writing her cookbook despite having a literary agent.
-What Lexi did for a career before starting her blog.
-How Lexi balanced her blog and her cookbook.
-How she had to let her perfectionism go to help the cookbook process along.
-What goes into deciding what recipes go into a cookbook.
-What goes into the recipe testing process to make sure each recipe is the best it can be.
-What the most daunting part of writing a recipe is.
-How an editor helped Lexi's recipe writing.
-What part of Lexi's cookbook process was the most unusual.

-What healthy habit Lexi can't give up
-What piece of advice Lexi would give her 20 year old self
-What Lexi hopes her 50 year old self tells her
-What person in business Lexi looks up to

Follow Lexi:
Blog: http://lexiscleankitchen.com
TW/IG: @lexiscleankitchen
FB: Facebook.com/lexiscleankitchen
Cookbook: http://amzn.to/2li9EzK

Join the Healthy Maven Tribe to ask guests questions and find out who will be on the show before anyone else!
facebook.com/groups/THMTribe
Please don’t forget to rate + review in iTunes if you love the podcast. Your comments and subscriptions help us make the best podcast for you!

Today we chat with Natasha Adamo from the relationship, wellness, beauty and lifestyle blog, Post Male Syndrome. You'll hear about:

Please don’t forget to rate + review in iTunes if you love the podcast. Your comments and subscriptions help us make the best podcast for you!