Being told what to cut out of your diet without being taught what to replace it with is one of the fastest ways to create fear, restriction, and confusion around food.

In this episode, we’re talking about the gap so many people fall into after a diagnosis whether it’s high cholesterol, fatty liver disease, diverticulitis, or food intolerances when guidance stays high-level but real life requires nuance. “Follow a Mediterranean diet.” “Cut carbs.” “Lower fiber.” But no one explains what that actually looks like day to day!!

As a nutrition coach, I’m breaking down why vague dietary rules can do more harm than good, how extreme interpretations often miss the point, and how to approach food restrictions with clarity instead of fear. We’ll explore how to think in categories, build a YES list of foods, and navigate temporary or long-term limitations in a way that supports both your health and your relationship with food.

Because a diagnosis isn’t a meal plan—and you deserve more than rules without a roadmap.

Most people focus on how much protein they eat each day.
But in a growth phase, or even when the goal is simply eating healthier, when and how you distribute it may matter even more.

In this episode, we explore why muscle growth doesn’t respond to one big protein-heavy meal, and how subtle patterns across your day may be quietly limiting results, or from a general health standpoint, shaping appetite and overall intake more than you realize.

If you’re hitting your numbers but not seeing the progress you expect, this might be the missing piece.

Every January, we’re sold the same message:
Do more. Be stricter. Go harder. Start over.

And every year, it leaves so many people burnt out, frustrated, and questioning their discipline—when the real problem was never effort.

In this first episode of 2026, we’re starting differently.

Instead of piling on extreme habits, rigid rules, and all-or-nothing motivation, we’re talking about what we’re not bringing into the new year—and why those approaches so often leave us short, disgruntled, and ready to quit by February.

More importantly, we’ll talk about what we’re choosing instead!

If you’re craving a calmer, more confident way to move into the new year—one that actually supports your long-term health, strength, and self-trust—this episode is your permission slip.