July 22, 2025

Love You More

Ep 66: Parenting Beyond Diet Culture with Oona Hanson

Episode summary:

Grab your coffee and settle in for a heartfelt conversation with writer, educator, and parent coach Oona Hanson to explore how diet culture affects families, especially boys, in today’s appearance-focused world. Oona shares personal and professional insights, including her own child’s experience with an eating disorder, and reflects on the often-overlooked body image pressures boys face around fitness, leanness, and muscularity.

Oona offers compassionate, practical advice for parents raising sons who may be internalizing harmful cultural messages. From gym culture to restrictive “healthy” eating, she helps parents spot red flags and respond in ways that support their child’s well-being. She encourages families to build resilience and stay connected in the face of challenges.

More about Oona:

Oona Hanson is a nationally recognized writer, educator, and parent coach who supports families navigating diet culture and eating disorders. With master’s degrees in Educational Psychology and English from California State University Northridge and Middlebury College, and an undergraduate degree from Princeton, she brings a rich academic background to her work.

Oona has worked as a Family Mentor at Equip Health, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to treat children with eating disorders, and she founded Common Sense Camp to help parents teach essential life skills to kids. She has been featured on CNN, People, USA Today, and The Washington Post, and she has presented at major professional conferences and published in academic journals.

Favorite Quotes:

“We’re so steeped in diet culture that we don’t even recognize it. It’s like the air we breathe or the water we swim in. And that makes it harder to spot when something is going wrong.” - Oona

“Your body isn’t the problem. The culture is the problem. And not everyone knows that bodies come in all sizes.” - Oona

“It’s tempting to rush in and fix it, but we actually need to sit with our kids in their discomfort. That’s how they know they’re safe with us.” - Oona

“We are influencers too. If we want our kids to feel good about their bodies, we have to work on feeling good about ours.” - Oona

“Being anti-diet is not anti-health. We can support our kids’ well-being without sending them down a restrictive path.” - Oona

Resources:

Oona’s Website
Oona's Instagram
Oona’s Substack- Parenting Without Diet Culture
Zoe Bisbing's Website- Body Positive Home
Zoe Bisbings's Substack
Freedom App
Ellyn Satter Institute

Substack
Jennifer's Instagram
McDaniel Nutrition Therapy Instagram
McDaniel Nutrition Therapy Website

Support the show

July 8, 2025

Love You More

Ep 65: Life Coach Lessons on Getting Grounded

Episode summary:

In this episode, Jen reflects on what it means to feel grounded and how her work with life coach and psychologist Amy Johnson has helped her get there.

She shares how tough it can be to follow a gut feeling instead of getting caught up in racing thoughts, and why learning to trust that inner sense has made such a difference. Jen also talks about weaving what she’s learned from her training with Amy into both her everyday life and her work with clients—bringing more awareness and intention into everything she does.

Favorite Quotes:

"I have ways of looking at things that just feel so beautiful and true and has been incredibly perfect for what I do in working with my clients in this nutrition and wellness space."

"When we're able to separate ourselves from our thoughts and to see that we are, not the thought that pops up, there's a lot of freedom there."

"If we're not our thoughts, then what are we?"

Resources

Dr Amy Johnson's Website
Helen's Website

Substack
Jennifer's Instagram
McDaniel Nutrition Therapy Instagram
McDaniel Nutrition Therapy Website

Support the show

June 24, 2025

Love You More

Ep 64: Sobriety as a Sacred Practice with Liz McCandless

Episode summary:

In this episode, Jen chats with the lovely Liz McCandless about her deeply personal journey to sobriety. After a big wake-up moment, Liz realized life was slipping by—and decided it was time to make a change. She opens up about her experience in rehab, the power of slowing down, and how sobriety helped her reconnect with who she really is. They dive into all the feels—grief, growth, boundaries—and how tools like yoga and sound baths have supported her healing along the way. It’s honest, empowering, and full of heart.

More about Liz:

Liz is a dedicated yoga instructor and certified sound bath practitioner, blending movement and sound for a holistic experience. She began her yoga journey in 2009 and completed her teacher training in 2024. Liz teaches a range of styles—including vinyasa, restorative, yoga nidra, and meditation—with a focus on mind-body connection, self-discovery, and healing. Her classes create space for growth and transformation, both on and off the mat.

Favorite Quotes:

"Resting and napping is a big part of my life and really trying to embrace it and not feel guilty about it." - Liz

"...you just take the time to listen to what you need and honor it in a moment when you can..." - Jen

"I know you can do more, but can you do less" -Joy

"There is exponential growth of sense of self, understanding myself, without alcohol." - Jen

Resources:

Rehab/Treatment:

• Cirque Lodge

Recovery Plans:

• AA
• AA Online meetings 24 hours a day/all over the world
• Apps:
  • Meeting Guide
  • Pink Cloud
  • Everything AA
• Refuge Recovery (Buddhist influenced approach to recovery)
• Recovery St. Louis

Sober coaching/recovery healing:

• Accountable

Books:

• It Takes a Family: Creating Lasting Sobriety, Togetherness & Happiness by Debra Jay
• A Woman’s Way Through the 12 Steps by Stephanie S. Covington, Ph. D.
• Unbottled Potential by Amanda Kuda (good for the sober curious woman, but really resonated for me as an alcoholic as well)
• Refuge Recovery: A Buddhist Path to Recovering from Addiction by Noah Levine

Podcasts:

• Recovery Rocks Podcast

Liz's Yoga Practice
Substack
Jennifer's Instagram
McDaniel Nutrition Therapy Instagram
McDaniel Nutrition Therapy Website

Support the show