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Karolina Rzadkowolska is a certified alcohol-free life coach whose book Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You will be out on bookshelves on January 4th. She’s the host of Euphoric the Podcast, founder of Euphoric Alcohol-Free, and her work has been featured in the Huffington Post, Authority Magazine, Greatist, and Elite Daily.

Karolina shares her personal alcohol story, and why and how she went alcohol-free. Karolina and I discuss our shared views on how it’s all about what you get when you leave alcohol behind, not what you give up, the detox to retox cycle so many women find themselves in, the role of the patriarchy in women’s drinking, and how alcohol impacts our health.

Pre-order your copy of Euphoric now: https://www.euphoricbook.com/

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These are easy, tasty, protein-packed veggie burgers. Pre-cook your quinoa to save time and you’ll whip these up in less than a half-hour.  Freeze your leftovers for a quick lunch or dinner option. Delicious topped with hummus or curry mayo.

Ingredients:

3/4 c slow-cook rolled oats, divided

1 can 14 oz/398 mL) or 1.5 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained

1 egg

2 tbsp low-sodium soy or tamari sauce

1 tbsp tahini

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp ground cumin

3/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp sea salt

1.5 c cooked quinoa

1 c mashed cooked sweet potato

2 green onions, chopped (white and green parts)

1/2 c packed fresh cilantro, chopped

1-2 tsp olive or coconut oil

To make:

Grind 1/2 c of the oats to a coarse flour in a food processor, transfer to a bowl and set aside. 

Combine beans, egg, soy sauce, tahini, garlic, cumin, chili, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor or blender and pulse until just combined into a chunky mixture. (You should...

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This episode is personal for me. I have seen firsthand the challenges and joys of raising a transgender child. 

In Episode 53, I chat with Cyndi Sweeney and BriAnna Simons, who are both parents of transgender children and advocates for inclusion awareness. Cyndi is my good friend, a writer, educator, journalist, and consultant for beyond binary thinking, and BriAnna is a clinical social worker who specializes in child and play-based therapies. 

Cyndi and BriAnna share the challenges and joys that have come with parenting their children as well as some helpful insight for parents of cis kids around how to raise sensitive allies for transgender children. They discuss their new children’s book, The Pink Balloon, and share resources for families with a member who is questioning their gender identity.

I urge you not to skip this episode. You'll learn something new about a topic most of us know too little about.

...

This is a super-simple, healthy dinner that cooks while you are out living your busy life, and mild-tasting, crowd-pleasing comfort food: What more could you ask for?

Ingredients:

1-1b of skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 large) or thighs 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 ribs of celery, sliced
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 & 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup unsweetened almond milk, divided
3 tbsp arrowroot powder*

*you can substitute cornstarch if you don't have arrowroot powder

To prepare:

Add the chicken, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, seasoning, and chicken broth to crockpot, and stir to combine. Set cooker to 4-6 hours on high setting or 8-10 hours on low setting.

Once cook time is complete (at least a half-hour before eating), remove the breasts or thighs & shred with a fork, then return meat to crockpot (You may not need to do...

My kids go crazy for this one. It’s a veggie-packed, grain-free dish that can be used as a side with fish or chicken, or as a vegetarian main course with a side of greens.

Ingredients:

2 medium heads of cauliflower, cut into florets, about 12 c

2 tbsp + 2 tsp olive oil

1 c diced yellow onion

3 cloves crushed garlic

2 c sugar-free jar of tomato pasta sauce

1-14 oz can white navy beans (1.5 cups, can substitute another type of white bean)

1- 370mL jar roasted sweet red peppers, drained

1/2+ tsp sea salt

1/4+ tsp pepper

1 tsp paprika

1/2 c packed fresh basil, finely chopped (and more for garnish)

1/2 c ricotta cheese

1/2 c grated parmesan or asiago cheese

1/2 c panko crumbs  *optional

To make:

Preheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with 2 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt & pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, turning florets once or twice during cooking time to avoid burning. Remove from oven, set aside,...

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I interview my friend and colleague Pam, who suffered a severe uterine prolapse in October 2018 while at a spin class. Pam shares her story of diagnosis, treatment, and recovery in the hope it might help other women who are struggling with prolapse and feeling alone and unsupported. Pam and I discuss the piecemeal nature of women’s health care, the importance of candid conversations around women’s reproductive health, and the role a good pelvic floor therapist can play when it comes to thriving in midlife. If you don’t know what a uterine prolapse, pessary, or vaginal vault suspension is, listen to this episode. To improve women’s pelvic floor wellness, we need to start talking about it more!

Prolapse Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/184143085606

Association for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Support: https://www.pelvicorganprolapsesupport.org/

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My soul sister, Megan, joins me as I share m son’s open adoption story. Duncan is now almost 18, so it felt like the right time to publicly share (with permission of Duncan and his birth family) the story of how my husband Rob and I came to the decision to adopt and how that process unfolded. Open adoption includes a continuing relationship with the child’s birth family, which makes my family’s case is very special. There were many moments of serendipity, shared joy, and intimate grief in this journey to starting a family – get ready to hear an amazing story that will reaffirm your belief that some things are just “meant to be”.

Grab Wendy’s free Blueprint for Change, here: www.wendymccallum.com/blueprint

This comforting, naturally sweetened breakfast could pass for dessert! This breakfast is perfect for the "all things apples & cinnamon” season that is Fall. Serve warm and top with a little dollop of the yoghurt mixture.

Ingredients:

6 c apples, peeled and diced (You’ll need 8-9 medium-sized apples)

2 tbsp cinnamon, divided 2 c slow cook rolled oats

2 tbsp chia seeds

2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 c dates, roughly chopped

1 c almond, other non-dairy milk or cow's milk

1/2 c unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping - Mix Together:

1/2 c plain yoghurt

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla

To make:

Peel and dice apples. Toss with 1 tbsp of cinnamon then place apples in the bottom of an ungreased pie plate.

In a large bowl, combine oats, chia seeds, baking powder, remaining 1 tbsp of cinnamon, ginger, allspice & salt.

In a blender or food processor, blend dates, milk, apple sauce,...

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Join me as I interview Shelley Tait, a mom of three and recovering drinker living with Stage 4 liver disease. Women’s drinking has been rising during the pandemic, and with it, liver disease. Alcohol-related liver disease typically takes years to develop, but as Shelley’s terrifying story evidences, it’s not nearly as many years as you think. You’ll be absolutely amazed by Shelley’s story, which she tells with great honesty and humour. Shelley and I discuss mommy wine culture, kids’ team sports and the parent drinking culture that’s often present there, and how easy it is for women’s “normal” drinking to escalate into a dangerous and destructive pattern.

Are you questioning your own drinking? Start here (it’s free!): www.wendymccallum.com/myths