You know that moment when you catch your reflection unexpectedly and think, "Who is that?" Not in a curious way, but in a way that feels like you don't recognize yourself? If you've had that moment, this episode is for you.

In this episode, we're talking about the evolution of body positivity and acceptance, the challenges of embracing body diversity in a culture that's currently shrinking, and how we can find peace with ourselves right now, in the bodies we're in today.

Kristina brings such clarity to the difference between body positivity and body acceptance, and why acceptance isn't resignation. She shares her own story of body grief, what it felt like to lose the identity that came with being thin, and how she found freedom on the other side of that grief. We also talk about the contraction and expansion happening in our current cultural moment (hello, GLP-1 era) and why this might be the final push before more of us say "enough."

If you've been stuck in body grief, if you feel betrayed by your changing body, or if you're exhausted from fighting yourself, this conversation will meet you right where you are.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The difference between body positivity (a social justice movement) and body acceptance (a personal practice)
• Why body acceptance isn't resignation, it's actually the path to real change
• How to move through body grief instead of staying stuck in it
• Why your body isn't betraying you, even when it feels that way
• What's underneath our resistance to body changes in midlife (spoiler: it's not about the weight)
• How to stop sourcing your worth externally and start finding safety within yourself

Connect with Kristina:

• Instagram: @kristinabruce_coach
• Website: kristinabruce.com
• Podcast: Unlearning Beautiful

Related Episodes You'll Love:

• Episode 47: Why Changing Your Body Isn't the Body Image Fix You're Looking For with Kristina Bruce
• Episode 109: The Body Acceptance Mistake That Keeping You Stuck
• Episode 134: What Every Woman Needs to Know About Body Image in Midlife with Summer Innanen
• Episode 141: Navigating Body Grief in Midlife with Nina Manolson

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

🎉 The wait is over! Doors to The Midlife Body Image Lab will open soon - get on the wait list here: https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/waitlist

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist

If your cravings feel more intense than ever, you're not alone.

In this second helping (my creative take on replay 🤣) of episode 117, I'm tackling one of the most-asked questions in my inbox: why do cravings feel so out of control in perimenopause and menopause, and what can you do about it? Spoiler alert: it's not about cutting out sugar or having more willpower.

I break down the three types of hunger (physical, taste, and emotional), explain why perimenopause symptoms like sleep disruption and hot flashes amplify emotional hunger, and share a framework for decoding your cravings instead of fighting them. Whether it's the 7pm snacking spiral, the weekend binge, or those intense drive-thru cravings when you're alone in the car, I walk you through how to press pause without judgment and respond in a way that addresses what you need.

This episode is for anyone who has ever felt hijacked by a craving, blamed themselves for lack of control, or wondered if menopause is making everything harder. Because yes, your hormones matter, but the solution isn't another restrictive food rule.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why cravings are normal and everyone is an emotional eater to some degree
• The difference between physical hunger, taste hunger, and emotional hunger
• How estrogen and progesterone influence appetite (and why perimenopause amplifies cravings)
• Why restricting foods you enjoy intensifies cravings for those exact foods
• The critical skill of pressing pause without saying no
• Real examples of decoding evening cravings, weekend patterns, and alone-time eating

Related Episodes You Might Enjoy:

• #147 - How to Stop the Cycle of “Starting Over” Every Monday
• #70 - From Dieting Rock Bottom to Intuitive Eating - 3 Common Mistakes

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

The wait list for The Midlife Body Image Lab program opens soon! Join my newsletter community to be the first to hear.

🔗 https://bit.ly/onthemenunewsletter

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist

Food freedom is permission to say yes to cake, but it's also permission to say no to dessert because you're full, satisfied, and know you can have it anytime you want. That's the level of trust and attunement I'm talking about in this conversation with Sam Previte, registered dietitian and founder of Find Food Freedom.

Sam is one of those dietitians whose passion for intuitive eating comes through in everything she does. From her popular social media accounts to her private practice, Sam has built her career on helping people make peace with food and their bodies. But she wasn't always an intuitive eating dietitian. Like so many of us, she came out of school steeped in weight-centric nutrition and personally struggling with disordered eating.

In this episode, Sam shares her journey from diet culture dietitian to becoming one of the loudest advocates for food freedom. We talk about what it really takes to unlearn decades of diet rules, how to build interoceptive awareness when your signals feel unreliable (hello, perimenopause), and the question on everyone's mind right now: where do GLP-1 medications fit into intuitive eating work?

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What food freedom actually means (and why it's not just eating whatever you want)
• How Sam went from teaching intentional weight loss to becoming a passionate intuitive eating advocate
• Where GLP-1 medications and intuitive eating can coexist (and where they can't)
• How to build attunement when your body's signals feel disrupted by perimenopause or menopause
• Why hobbies might be the missing ingredient in your midlife journey

About Sam: Sam Previte is a registered dietitian, certified intuitive eating counselor, certified personal trainer, and the founder of Find Food Freedom, a virtual private practice with 11 registered dietitians serving clients across 29 states. Find Food Freedom accepts over 100 insurance plans, making intuitive eating and Health at Every Size care more accessible. Sam is also the host of the Find Food Freedom Podcast.

Connect with Sam:

• Instagram: @find.food.freedom
• Podcast: Find Food Freedom Podcast
• Website: findfoodfreedom.com

Related Episodes You'll Love:

• #180: Breaking Free from Diet Culture Lies: How to Trust Your Body Again with Colleen Christensen
• #138: 5 Things I Wish I Had Known About Intuitive Eating 10 Years Ago
• #136: Health vs. Weight: Debunking the Biggest Wellness Myth with Val Schonberg, RD

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

The wait list for The Midlife Body Image Lab program opens soon! Join my newsletter community to be the first to hear.

🔗 https://bit.ly/onthemenunewsletter

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist