Episodes

Running on Empty: Tina's Health Coaching Journey Begins We're doing it again. Last time, we opened the doors to real health coaching sessions with Joanna, and so many of you told us how much it helped to hear coaching in action — not the polished version, the real one. So we're back for with another awesome woman. Over the next several episodes, you'll hear real coaching conversations between Danna and a client we're calling Tina. Nothing scripted, nothing cleaned up. Meet Tina Tina is a w...

Got 10 Minutes? Why Europeans Are Losing It Over American Grocery Stores The World Cup brought a wave of Europeans into US grocery stores — and the internet lost it over package sizes. "We only shop once a month," the Americans said. "Then how is your fresh food still good?" the Europeans replied. Megan went down the comment-section rabbit hole and immediately needed Danna. What follows is a genuinely fascinating look at how shopping behavior, fridge size, and even bread shelf life reveal way mo...

"Your Bloods Look Normal" Is Not a Diagnosis: Patient Advocacy & Perimenopause ft. Belinda Balscheit Listener Amanda was so passionate about today's guest, she sent a voice message to make sure we booked her. She was right. Belinda Balscheit is a two-time cancer survivor, women's health advocate, and patient advocacy powerhouse based in Basel — and this conversation is one of the most important we've had on the show. If you've ever been told your symptoms are all in your head, dismissed by a ...

Megan found a Dr. Jason Fung video called "The Food Pyramid Lie: Why We Got Fat" and immediately needed to talk about it. So here we are. The food pyramid you grew up with — the one that told you to build your entire diet on a mountain of bread and grains — was not based on science. It was based on lobbying. And the Swiss one? Also a little sus. Danna had never even heard of the Swiss food pyramid before this episode. She has thoughts.

Got Booch? Ever grabbed a kombucha off the shelf thinking you're doing your gut a favor? Yeah… about that. In this episode, we sit down with Gina, founder of the Swiss Kombucha Company, to blow the lid off what's actually in most store-bought kombucha—and spoiler alert, a lot of it isn't even kombucha. Gina takes us behind the scenes of her journey from brewing 200 liters a month in her sticky kitchen to visiting 30+ breweries across North America and Europe (pretending to write a blog that neve...

Got 10 Minutes? Speaking Your Partner's Language (No, Not That One) It came up on the last So Frickin' Healthy Live. It keeps coming up in conversations. And honestly, it should come up more — because most relationship friction isn't about not loving each other enough, it's about not speaking the same language. Danna and Megan break down all five love languages, share what's working (and what took years to figure out) in their own marriages — and Danna officially adds two more to the list that G...

Final Thoughts: An Inside Look at Health Coaching - Joanna's impressions one month later What is it actually like to work with a health coach, especially if you’ve never done health coaching before? In this wrap-up episode, Joanna reflects on her experience working with Danna and shares what surprised her, what stuck, and what she would tell someone who is thinking about hiring a health coach. She talks about coming into coaching feeling overwhelmed by conflicting health advice and wanting...

Got 10 Minutes? IBS vs IBD — Your Gut Is Trying to Tell You Something You've heard of IBS. You've probably said "I have IBS" at some point — maybe even without a formal diagnosis. But do you know what it actually means? And do you know the difference between IBS and IBD? Because they are not the same thing, and mixing them up could mean missing something your body really needs you to catch. Danna breaks it down — what each one is, how to tell them apart, what the warning signs are, and why your ...

You Before Baby and You After Baby Are Not the Same Person ft. Ben Fox Yes, it's a guy talking about maternity leave. Danna said it before Megan could. But here's the thing — Ben Fox spent five years coaching women through one of the most professionally precarious moments of their lives, and he's genuinely good at it. This episode is for anyone who's pregnant, thinking about getting pregnant, or just came back from leave wondering why nothing feels the same anymore. Spoiler: you're not the same ...

Got 10 Minutes? What You Eat Is Messing With Your ADHD Megan was TikToking, as one does, and landed on a video about food-induced ADHD symptoms. She immediately thought of Danna. Because obviously. Both certified ADHD-havers, both deeply invested in food — which basically makes them experts. This one's for anyone whose brain feels like it's running 47 tabs and someone just spilled coffee on the keyboard. Whether you're diagnosed, suspicious, or just chronically scattered, the food-brain conne...

Session 6: When Life Gets in the Way It's the final session, and Joanna arrives with a grimace. Travel, illness, holiday chaos—the last month knocked her off course. The nutrition slipped. The exhaustion came back. But here's the thing Danna wants her to see: the fact that she feels the difference now? That's the win. Her body has become her own accountability partner. She doesn't need Danna to tell her something's off—she knows. This is the three-month wall. Everyone hits it. There's always a...

Got 10 Minutes? This one wasn't planned. Megan and Danna were just... talking. About uncomfortable bras. And overstimulation. And naps. And somehow it turned into one of the most relatable 10 minutes they've recorded. Turns out an ill-fitting bra on a walk can tell you a lot about your nervous system — and a 40-minute lie-down might be the most underrated health tool you're not using. What You'll Learn: The three types of overstimulation (spoiler: your bra might be one of them) Why ADHD and se...

Money. Just the word made Danna's face look like she'd been slapped with a cold, wet, rotten fish. In this episode, we sit down with Arielle Tucker —certified financial planner, IRS enrolled agent, and fellow expat—to talk about the thing nobody wants to talk about: how financial stress is wrecking your health, and what to actually do about it. Whether you're avoiding logging into your bank account, drowning in tax complexity as an American abroad, or just hoping retirement will somehow sort ...

Got 10 Minutes? You think you eat pretty well. You don't snack that much. You're basically fine. And then you keep a food diary for a week and suddenly — oh. OH. Danna and Megan break down why food diaries are one of the most underrated health tools out there, what they actually reveal (spoiler: the coffee with cream counts), and how to find the version that doesn't make you want to quit on day two. What You'll Learn: Why a food diary is a mirror, not a punishment The spectrum from "red dot i...

Session 5: Beyond the Plate The food logging? Still not happening. But here's the thing—Joanna's body has figured itself out anyway. She naturally stops eating by seven, doesn't want anything but coffee until ten or eleven, and the three o'clock slump that used to flatten her? Gone. Now five o'clock rolls around and she's surprised the day is already over. So this session, she's ready to talk about something new: movement. Danna breaks down the basics—strength training matters more than ca...

Got 10 Minutes? Fermented foods. Leftovers. Avocado. Kombucha. Spinach. All things the wellness world worships — and all things that could be absolutely wrecking you if histamine intolerance is your thing. Danna's been dropping the H-word in episodes for years and Megan finally made her explain herself. Consider this your 10-minute crash course. What You'll Learn: What histamine intolerance actually is (spoiler: it's a bucket, not a blood test) The surprisingly wide range of symptoms — from m...

Peptides, Perimenopause & the Wellness Tool Nobody Is Talking About ft. Dr. Mary Pines Listener Gina had a question: what's the deal with peptides — the ones that aren't GLP-1s, the ones all over social media? Are they legit or total BS? Danna immediately said: Mary. Dr. Mary Pines is back on SFH for the first time in three years, neck-deep in the peptide scene and ready to spill everything. About Dr. Mary Pines: PhD-level functional medicine practitioner specializing in hormonal and metabolic ...

Got 10 Minutes? Let's Talk Glycemic Index Danna wanted to talk about "glucose index." Megan corrected her and then proceeded to geek out for the next 10 minutes—and honestly, it was worth it. If you've ever been confused by the difference between glycemic index and glycemic load, wondered whether carbs are actually the enemy, or just been curious why that afternoon energy crash keeps hitting you like a truck, this one's for you. Megan brings 17 years of diabetes care industry experience to the ...

Chapter 4: When It's Working (Even When It's Not Perfect) Joanna shows up with the best possible news: she feels good. More energy. The afternoon slump that used to start at two and drag on for hours? Now it's maybe fifteen minutes around four—if it happens at all. Fewer carbs, more protein. It's working. The food logging, though? That fell off a bit. The notebook ended up on the other side of the house, and there's still birthday cake in the freezer calling her name. Life happens. So they sim...

Got 10 Minutes? Megan had AI generate a list of common wellness mantras. They picked three. Things got heated fast. First up: eat less, move more. Danna's take? Bullshit. This one boils her blood. Because what people hear is "fast for 24 hours and live on the treadmill"—and when they do that, their body panics, holds onto every fat cell, and they don't lose the weight anyway. Her rewrite? Eat healthier and move a little bit. Friendlier. And actually works. Next: "I'm being so bad today." Megan...

Hot Flashes, Belly Fat & Brain Fog — Could Keto Be the Answer? Two topics. One episode. Zero fluff. Vanessa Gatelein joins Danna and Megan to dig into the intersection of the ketogenic diet and perimenopause. Vanessa came to keto the hard way: through carnivore, hair loss scares, Hashimoto's, and a broken ankle that made her realize she was, in fact, breakable. What she learned along the way is genuinely eye-opening — and probably not what you've heard before. About Vanessa Gatelein: Vanessa is...

Got 10 Minutes? Megan's gutting her kitchen for a renovation, so naturally we're talking gadgets. Which ones do we actually use? Which ones are collecting dust? And which one did Megan love so much she broke it with her bare hands? Danna's ride-or-die is the food processor. There have been times it broke and she told her family: we're not eating that tonight. I am not grating. Megan's obsessed with her air fryer—frozen chicken to dinner in under 20 minutes. Danna fires back with the Instant Pot...

Session 3: When the Data Finally Speaks Joanna arrives fresh off her birthday weekend—cake eaten, no regrets. But she's also carrying something new: proof. Through a work project, she spent ten days wearing a continuous glucose monitor. For someone with a scientist's brain who's always wanted to see the data, this was gold. And what she discovered confirmed everything they'd been working on: that innocent afternoon snack—a few grapes, a plum—was sending her glucose through the roof and keeping ...

In this So Frickin’ Mini, Megan and Danna keep it simple: a quick, honest chat about why meditation can feel impossible (especially if you think you’re “supposed to think about nothing”), followed by a 10-minute guided practice from Gretchen Larsen. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s training your body back into rest and digest, one breath at a time. Gretchen’s Breath and Heartful Awareness meditation invites you to settle into a comfortable position, use your breath as an anchor, and gently bring ...