What does it actually mean for a community to be "food secure"? And how do we practice "food neutrality" in a culture dominated by strict diet messaging and rising grocery costs?

In this episode of Be Yourself: Happy, Healthy, Hopeful, host Adriana Grande sits down with Karen Bellemore, a Registered Dietitian, Public Health Dietitian, and chair-elect of the OntarioDietitians of Public Health. With over a decade of experience at the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU), Karen is at the forefront of advancing equitable, inclusive approaches to regional food systems. When she isn't transforming public health policy, she’s a busy hockey mom and goaliecoach right here in Windsor-Essex.

Together, Adriana and Karen unpack the critical intersection of food access, income, systemic policy, and our psychological relationship with what we eat. This is a must-listen episode designed to leave you informed about our local community andequipped with the tools to live a more food-neutral life.

What We Cover in This Episode:

• The Root of Food Insecurity: Why record-high food bank usage across Canada is fundamentally an income problem rather than a food problem.

• The Windsor-Essex Landscape: Key findings from the Windsor-Essex County Food Strategy Auxiliary Report, local "food deserts," and how food insecurity creates barriers to infant feeding and local breastfeeding rates.

• Demystifying "Food Neutrality": How language around nutrition has shifted throughout Karen’s career, and how to separate moral value from food choices.

• Supportive Environments for Kids: A deep dive into the new Supportive Food Environment in Schools Toolkit, the role teachers play in the classroom, and how parents can practice food neutrality at home.

Whether you are an educator, a parent, or a community member looking to build a more compassionate Windsor-Essex, Karen's insights offer an eye-opening look at the systems shaping our daily lives.

Connect & Resources:

• Explore WECHU’s Toolkits & Strategies: wechu.org
• Learn More About BANA’s Health Promotion Programs: bana.ca
• Read the Latest Insights: Check out the BANA Be Yourself magazine.
• Follow BANA on Social Media: @banawindsor

If you found this conversation helpful or eye-opening, please leave us a 5-star rating on Spotify and share it with someone who would love to hear it!

Have you ever felt like exercise was a chore, a punishment, or a way to "earn" your food? For many, the fitness industry has turned movement into a transaction, leaving us disconnected from our own bodies and trapped in a cycle of guilt.

In this episode of Be Yourself: Happy, Healthy, Hopeful, hostAdriana Grande is joined by Martha Munroe, an expert in Applied Positive Psychology and author of the transformative book, Attuned Exercise.

Martha has spent over two decades evolving from a traditional fitness professional to an advocate for Positive Embodiment, helping people ditch the "burn it to earn it" mentality for good.

If you have ever felt "broken" by past fitness failures or struggle to find joy in movement, this conversation offers a gentle, evidence-based road map to rediscovering self-trust and life-enhancing movement.

In this episode, we explore:

• What is Attuned Exercise? Moving away from external rules and toward internal connection.
• The "Bus Bench" vs. "Park Bench" Metaphor: A simple but powerful way to view your fitness journey.
• Reframing Rest: Why "doing nothing" is actually an essential part of positive embodiment.
• Dismantling Fitness Myths: Challenging the "no pain, no gain" narrative that dominates our social feeds.
• Movement as Play: How to transition from using exercise as a tool for compensation to using it as an act of self-care.
• Parenting in Diet Culture: How to model a healthy relationship with movement for the next generation.

Whether you are in recovery or simply looking to heal your relationship with your body, Martha’s insights will help you find the joy in movement again.

Resources & Connection:

• Get the Book: Learn more about Attuned Exercise by Martha Munroe by visiting www.attunedexercise.com or on Instagram @attunedexercise
• Follow BANA on Instagram: @banawindsor
• Visit Us Online: bana.ca
• Deep Dive: Read more from Martha about positive embodiment in the BANA Be Yourself magazine.

Thehardest part of any journey is the very first step—picking up the phone. Formany, that moment is clouded by a single thought: "Am I sick enough todeserve help?"

Inthis episode of Be Yourself: Happy, Healthy, Hopeful,host Adriana Grande sits down with Alicia Regier, MSW, aRegistered Social Worker and BANA’s Intake Worker. Alicia is often the veryfirst voice a client hears when they reach out to BANA.

If you’ve ever wondered what actually happens when you callthe centralized 1-855 intake line, or if you’ve been paralyzed by the fear ofbeing "interrogated," this episode is for you. We are breaking downthe logistics, the emotions, and the roadmap to recovery so you never have tonavigate it alone.

Inthis episode, we discuss:

• The "Sick Enough" Myth: Why your struggle is valid exactly as it is, and why you don't need to reach a "breaking point" to call.
• The Anatomy of an Intake: Alicia walks us through the three-part process, from the online self-assessment to the clinical follow-up.
• Navigating Waitlists: Practical "mental triage" tips and self-guided tools you can use while waiting for a spot to open.

Recovery isn't just about food; it’s about reclaiming theability to enjoy a coffee with a friend or a family dinner without a cloud ofanxiety.

Readyto start? Here is your toolkit:

• The Starting Point: Take the anonymous Level of Care Self-Assessment (LoCSA)
• Learn More: Visit bana.ca for a step-by-step guide to intake services.
• Stay Connected: Follow us @banawindsor on Instagram for community support.
• Read: Dive into the BANA Be Yourself magazine for more stories of hope.