We all have moments where we feel it’s time for a change. Whether you can fully see things are out of alignment for you based on your values or you just know that something’s not working anymore. It can be scary (and totally normal!) to figure out where to go next, especially when it’s moving away from things you’ve done or believed for years. In this episode, I talk with Shohreh Davoodi about her evolution in her life, career and views on health and how she redefined her life as she evolved and shifted.   About Shohreh Davoodi Shohreh Davoodi is a certified intuitive eating counselor and personal trainer who helps people ditch diet culture and improve their relationships with food, exercise, and their bodies through online coaching and consulting. She is also the host of the Redefining Health & Wellness podcast where she explores the limiting messages we receive about health and the harm those messages can cause. As a mixed-race, queer, and neurodiverse individual, Shohreh is passionate about creating and supporting inclusive spaces in the health and wellness industry.   Small Steps in the Show:  Focus on your language and make shifts as needed See what mantras are in your head. What could you say instead? Think about what you actually want to be doing or like to do Think about what you’re doing because you think you should do and you don’t like to do it, consider letting the shoulds go Look at where those things come from Shifting focus to behaviors over outcomes Focus on one thing at a time consistently in a way that works for you Moving away from all or nothing thinking But what if the best case scenario happened? Look at all of the possibilities around a situation (good, bad and in between) What would be the worst case scenario? Would you be okay if that happened?   Mentioned in the Show: Buy my Enamel Pin Health at Every Size (HAES) Food Psych Podcast Dr. Kate Browne Untamed by Glennon Doyle Small Steps #49: The Art of Noticing: Your Language Redefining Health & Wellness Podcast #39 with Amanda LaCount Listen to the Redefining Health & Wellness Podcast Shohreh’s Website Follow Shohreh on Instagram and Facebook Get the full show notes here! Follow Aimee on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest Sign up for the Wellness Wednesdays Newsletter Interested in working with Aimee? Find out information here. Edited by Eilise Bonebright

Small Steps

95 | Redefining your Health, Wellness and Life with Shohreh Davoodi

Learning about social justice and understanding the systems of oppression that affect us is extremely important. And it’s just as important to take action on what you’ve learned or in light of what you’ve learned to bring about changing the systems to create something new. This episode covers how to figure out where to share what you’re learning and how to take action on what you’re learning. This is part five of five in a social-justice focused series.    Important Note: This series is not a substitute for any informal or formal social justice education. See the Mentioned in the Show section of episode 90 to see the people I’ve worked with and learned most of my social justice knowledge from.   Small Steps in the Show:  Define your spheres of influence Define your skill sets If you work for a company, consider checking in with your HR department/manager about company policies, procedures, stance, education related to social justice If you’re a freelancer, entrepreneur/small business owner, see how you can incorporate social justice into your work Start working on your listening and asking skills Extend yourself kindness and compassion as you do this   Mentioned in the Show: Small Steps #32 with Dr. Tee Williams Small Steps #33 “Doing the Work” Part 2 Small Steps #90 Ways to “Do the Work”: Setting Up Small Steps #91 Ways to “Do the Work.”: Gathering Information Small Steps #92: Ways to “Do the Work”: Media and Money Audits Small Steps #93: Ways to “Do the Work”: Your Own Care Dr. Tee Williams Spheres of Influence Visual Example Employee Resource Group (ERG)s, article 1 and article 2 Andrea Ranae Motivational Interviewing Active Listening   Get the full show notes here! Follow Aimee on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest Sign up for the Wellness Wednesdays Newsletter Interested in working with Aimee? Find out information here.

94 | Ways to “Do the Work”: Sharing and Taking Action

Doing social justice work and learning can bring up a lot of feelings and trauma. As we continue to do this work for the long haul, it’s also important to also make our care and healing a priority.  This episode covers how to also take care of yourself so you can continue to do social justice work, heal and not burn out. This is part four of five in a social-justice focused series.    Important Note: This series is not a substitute for any informal or formal social justice education. See the Mentioned in the Show section of episode 90 to see the people I’ve worked with and learned most of my social justice knowledge from.   Small Steps in the Show:  Check in with yourself, perhaps more often Reflect on ways you’ve taken care of yourself  Invest in your rest care and joy Investigate and get clear on what impacts your care and mental health Get support around your healing Extend yourself kindness and compassion as you do this   Mentioned in the Show: Small Steps #32 with Dr. Tee Williams Small Steps #33 “Doing the Work” Part 2 Small Steps #90 Ways to “Do the Work”: Setting Up Small Steps #91 Ways to “Do the Work.”: Gathering Information Small Steps #92: Ways to “Do the Work”: Media and Money Audits Dr. Tee Williams The Nap Ministry on Instagram Small Steps #83 Noticing, Feeling and Creating Joy Small Steps #88 with Melody Li Inclusive Therapists Therapy Den Small Steps #60 with Yin Li How to find a therapist from Asians Do Therapy The Cosmos The Mixed Space Beyond Guilt, Beyond Shame: White People Processing Racism Facebook group Get the full show notes here! Follow Aimee on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest Sign up for the Wellness Wednesdays Newsletter Interested in working with Aimee? Find out information here. Edited by Eilise Bonebright

93 | Ways to “Do the Work”: Your Own Care

As we learn more about social justice, it can be helpful to look at some major things in our lives: the media we consume and where and who we spend our money with to see if that’s aligned with our social justice values. This episode covers what to ask while you’re looking at your media and money and how to intentionally adjust in a way that aligns with where you’re going. This is part three of five in a social-justice focused series.    Important Note: This series is not a substitute for any informal or formal social justice education. See the Mentioned in the Show section of episode 90 to see the people I’ve worked with and learned most of my social justice knowledge from.   Small Steps in the Show:  Get clear on what media you’re consuming and where you’re consuming it Ask questions about the media Intentionally diversify your feeds, media and more  Consider unfollowing/unsubscribing/moving away from people in media that don’t align with your values/stance on things anymore Do a similar audit on companies you shop with (in person and online), businesses/establishments you frequent and services you use Ask questions about the companies, business and services you use Consider diversifying who you’re shopping with Consider sharing your views/concerns with companies/businesses you’ve been using that have some room for improvement/are taking steps or are trying to take steps Consider changing your buying habits/where you buy if certain companies don’t align with your values/stance on things anymore Extend yourself kindness and compassion as you do this   Mentioned in the Show: Small Steps #32 with Dr. Tee Williams Small Steps #33 “Doing the Work” Part 2 Small Steps #90 Ways to “Do the Work”: Setting Up Small Steps #91 Ways to “Do the Work.”: Gathering Information Dr. Tee Williams Unroll.me Progressive Shopper Plug-in for Chrome Women Owned Business Certification B Corporation Bookshop Indiebound Buy Nothing Groups Get the full show notes here! Follow Aimee on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest Sign up for the Wellness Wednesdays Newsletter Interested in working with Aimee? Find out information here. Edited by Eilise Bonebright

92 | Ways to “Do the Work”: Media and Money Audits

Dominant culture has rewritten history or made what actually happened harder to find. And as we continue our work in social justice, we’ve got to seek out this information, concepts, ideologies and more. This episode covers how to find that information, apply critical thinking as you read and search, and more. This is part two of five in a social-justice focused series.    Important Note: This series is not a substitute for any informal or formal social justice education. See the Mentioned in the Show section to see the people I’ve worked with and learned most of my social justice knowledge from.   Small Steps in the Show:  Consider researching listicles first to find information/resources If overwhelmed, focus your search based on last episode Do your research and due diligence Save information in a place/form that works for you If you’re doing this with other folks, see if you can all gather and share things, or share what you’ve all already learned/read as resources to help each other Find a time to read and process this information Extend yourself kindness and compassion as you do this   Mentioned in the Show: Small Steps #32 with Dr. Tee Williams Small Steps #33 “Doing the Work” Part 2 Small Steps #90 Ways to “Do the Work”: Setting Up Small Steps #75: Deciding What to Believe around Health Studies, Media + Reports Dr. Tee Williams Get the full show notes here! Follow Aimee on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest Sign up for the Wellness Wednesdays Newsletter Interested in working with Aimee? Find out information here. Edited by Eilise Bonebright

91 | Ways to “Do the Work”: Gathering Information

More time passes from the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others and the uprisings that sparked an increased awareness and openness to talk about racism, systemic oppression and social justice. “Doing the work” of learning these systems and contributing to change is lifelong. This series talks about ways you create a helpful framework to continue your learning and taking action. This is the first of five episodes in this series.    Important Note: This series is not a substitute for any informal or formal social justice education. See the Mentioned in the Show section to see the people I’ve worked with and learned most of my social justice knowledge from.   Small Steps in the Show:  Define your values and your whys Define a starting point to focus on, check back in with yourself to see if you feel like you can handle more or different information Check in with how you learn best Pick a time of day/day or days of the week you want to set aside for this work Decide how you’re going to spend your time each day/week Find community to do this work with  Recording what you’re doing each day/week Extend yourself kindness and compassion as you do this   Mentioned in the Show: Small Steps #32 with Dr. Tee Williams Small Steps #33 “Doing the Work” Part 2 Values exercise Dr. Tee Williams Self-Paced Foundations for Social Justice Course Andrea Ranae Michelle Cassandra Johnson Skill in Action Chrissy King Small Steps #18 with Chrissy King Susanna Barkataki Honor Don’t Appropriate Yoga Series Susanna’s upcoming book Get the full show notes here! Follow Aimee on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest Sign up for the Wellness Wednesdays Newsletter Interested in working with Aimee? Find out information here. Edited by Eilise Bonebright

90 | Ways to “Do the Work”: Setting Up

This episode talks about the essential fact that Black lives matter and the importance of Black voices in the Wellness World, why I started this podcast and what’s in store for the podcast in the future. Also a new podcast series is coming up later in July/early August that I talk about here.   Mentioned in the Show: Small Steps #14: Being Biracial and My Vision for Wellness Small Steps #1 My Health Journey Small Steps #55: What I Learned after a Year of Podcasting Lestraundra Alfred of Balanced Black Girl Small Steps #36 with Lestraundra Alfred Kayla Nedza of the Wellness Glow Up Podcast  Small Steps #58 with Kayla Nedza Dr. Shena Young Kindred Medicine Podcast Kindred Medicine Shohreh Davoodi  Redefining Health and Wellness Podcast Diversify Dietetics  Naaya Wellness Reclamation Ventures Dive in Well The Cosmos Small Steps #87: 5 Things I’ve Been Working on Recently  Dr. Tee Williams Small Steps #32 with Dr. Tee Williams Small Steps #33 Doing the Work Part 2 Get the full show notes here! Follow Aimee on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest Sign up for the Wellness Wednesdays Newsletter

89 | Important Things and Podcast Updates

For those of us targeted identities, it can be hard to find places, spaces and people to work with who really see and can hold space for all of us or the parts of us that we hold especially dear. While “good enough” has been the norm, more and more people are coming together to, in their professions, make it clear that we can work with people who really see and understand all of us. In this episode, I talk with Melody Li and the importance of a culturally affirming and social justice oriented therapist, and her directory to find other like minded therapists.   About Melody Li Melody Li (she/her) is an immigrant, therapist of color and mental health justice activist. She created Inclusive Therapists, a social justice-oriented mental health directory and therapist community that centers the needs of marginalized populations. She’s also the cofounder of the Austin Counseling Collective, an intentionally diverse group therapy practice. Melody also co-leads the Austin Therapists of Color community.   Small Steps in the Show:  Get clear on the relationship you want with your therapist and what you want to do in therapy Check out the Inclusive Therapists directory Check a therapist’s website, social media and other web presences and their copy. Ask for referrals from friends that you trust. Look to see what therapists are talking about resources and communities that are important to you and seeing if you can work with them or if they can refer you to someone. Bring your past experiences with other therapists with your current therapist Talking about your experiences with your trusted communities in person or online   Mentioned in the Show: Buy my Enamel Pin Donate to Black Lives Matter (National) Find and donate to a Black Lives Matter Chapter near you Donate to Black Visions Collective Donate to Reclaim the Block Donate to the Free Black Mamas National Bail Out Fund Donate to the George Floyd Memorial Fund Donate to the I Run with Maud Fundraiser Sign the Justice for Breonna Taylor Petition Small Steps #32 with Dr. Tee Williams Small Steps #33 “Doing the Work” Part 2 Inclusive Therapist’s Matchmaking Service Melody’s Website Follow Melody on Instagram Inclusive Therapists Website Follow Inclusive Therapists on Instagram Get the full show notes here! Follow Aimee on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest Sign up for the Wellness Wednesdays Newsletter Interested in working with Aimee? Find out information here. Edited by Eilise Bonebright

88 | The Importance of a Having a Culturally Affirming Therapist with Melody Li

A more personal episode, I’m sharing 5 things I’ve been thinking about and working on during this time. I also share small steps that I’ve taken and am taking as I work through them.   Small Steps in the Show:  Internalized Capitalism/Rest/How to Show Up at this Time Recognizing how much of a thing that was that i work with, how big and old of a pattern it is for me Reminding myself in the moment and not in the moment that my worth isn’t tied in what i make or produce Telling myself that it was okay to rest and that's also liberatory Recognizing what tired feels like in my body and how overworking has manifested itself in my body checking in with myself and how i'm feeling physically and emotionally and NOT stuffing that down Finding things that are fun to do that are just for me (knitting, reading fiction, watching shows) Working on my social media boundaries that might fuel the internalized capitalism  Constantly reminding myself that i’m a whole ass person who has to also take care of themselves I always am worth taking care of myself Reminding myself of what’s true for me and my life (h/t Dr Tee) Reminding myself that what i do in enough, i’m not doing this work alone  Reminding myself that rest is important for me and to continue to the do the work longer term Just because i’m not able to show up full force now doesn’t mean i can’t and won’t later Having kindness and compassion for myself   Clothing and Fatphobic Thoughts Wearing the “bigger” clothes and just doing what I need to do Allowing myself to dress how I felt that day Remembering that these voices were internalized things, that no one is saying this to me right now Getting curious about that voice and knowing it wasn’t really mine Reminding myself that my appearance isn’t the most important thing about me Extending kindness and compassion to myself as voices came up   Comfort Foods Listening to what I really wanted to eat and trusting that  Noticing when those judgy thoughts came up and getting curious about where those came from Remembering that I have other choices to make with other meals if any weird feelings came up  Stating what I needed when my body did have reactions  Taking action when my body did have reactions (adding in supportive foods, taking it easier on other things, adding in more water and rest, recognizing stress is a big factor as well) Checking in with myself and what i need Separating my body size and my worth Understanding, realizing and accepting that being a larger body size isn’t a bad thing   Mentioned in the Show: Buy my Enamel Pin Small Steps #1 My Health Journey Small Steps #79 Taking Care of Yourself in Uncertain Times Small Steps #80 Tips and Tricks for Working from Home Small Steps #81 Ways to Lower Stress and Anxiety Small Steps #82 How Are You?: A Self Care Check-In The Nap Ministry on Instagram Dr. Tee Williams Small Steps #32 with Dr. Tee Williams Small Steps #83 Noticing, Feeling and Creating Joy Steph Gaudreau Steph’s Knitting-Focused Instagram Small Steps #84 with Amanda Martinez Beck Steph Gaudreau’s blog post on Body Neutrality Get the full show notes here! Follow Aimee on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest Sign up for the Wellness Wednesdays Newsletter

87 | 5 Things I’ve Been Working on Recently

Journaling is a popular suggestion as a small step on this podcast and beyond as a way to get in touch with yourself. But if you’re new to journaling or have a block around it, figuring out where to start can feel confusing or overwhelming. In this episode, I talk with Jess Song about how journaling can help and how to make journaling a more approachable practice.   About Jess Song Jess Song is Korean-American born in, raised by Brooklyn, NY. Jess is the founder of Back to Self and is committed to bridging cultural gaps in emotional health. She’s spent 15 years working with underserved immigrant/diaspora/2nd-generation populations, and learned there is an unexplored gap in the way we process, communicate, and navigate our emotions--especially the difficult ones.    With Back to Self’s journaling workshops, Jess aims to reset this cultural and generational gap by bringing counseling, healthy communication, and healthy relationship frameworks into a daily, accessible practice.  Small Steps in the Show:  Learn to sit before journaling Check in with yourself first Consider a visualization of being in a room to sit with yourself Be more okay with being uncomfortable Create a routine or ritual around it Consider committing to a set number of pages everyday Have a definite thing that starts and ends the journaling time Observe more and narrate less Identify your fuzzy words Observe yourself with compassion and know you don’t have to solve the problem Stay present with the facts Consider journaling in a different format (audio or video)   Mentioned in the Show: Buy my Enamel Pin The Artist’s Way The Cosmos Jess’s Website Follow Jess on Instagram  Get the full show notes here! Follow Aimee on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest Sign up for the Wellness Wednesdays Newsletter Interested in working with Aimee? Find out information here. Edited by Eilise Bonebright

86 | Turning Journaling into a Practice with Jess Song

Adding a bit more flavor to our meals can take what’s on our plate from meh to WOW. Especially if you’re cooking more or a newer to cooking, it can feel a bit overwhelming to figure out how to make your food and also make it realllllly tasty. This episode covers 5 possible ways you can add more flavor to your food and make cooking a bit more fun.  Small Steps in the Show:  Choose just one of the five ways to start with that feels accessible for you Try doing a way for 1-2 meals a week Experiment and see what you like  Consider adding this technique to more meals if you like it Please extend kindness and compassion as you figure things out    Mentioned in the Show: Buy my Enamel Pin Small Steps #1 My Health Journey Small Steps #75 Deciding What to Believe Around Health Studies, Media + Reports Penzeys The Spice House Jacobsen Salt Co. Spiceology Oaktown Spice Shop How to Make Your Own Spice Blends Small Steps #35: 6 Steps to Stop Feeling So Hungry All the Time The Big Fat Surprise Get the full show notes here! Follow Aimee on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest Sign up for the Wellness Wednesdays Newsletter

85 | 5 Ways to Add More Flavor to Your Cooking

A major part of moving away from diet culture can be embracing the bodies we currently have, regardless of our body’s size or how “acceptable” diet culture deems it. And in that journey, looking at and realizing our internalized fatphobia can come up and be a lot. In this episode I talk with fat activist Amanda Martinez Beck on fat activism, fatness, the systemic things that affect fatness and how we can embrace the fact that our bodies (and all bodies) are good.   About Amanda Martinez Beck Amanda Martinez Beck is a fat activist, author, speaker and coach. She co-hosts the Fat & Faithful podcast along with fat activist J. Nicole Morgan and is the co-founder of the Ruah Storyteller Podcast. She is also the author of Lovely: How I Learned to Embrace the Body God Gave Me. When Amanda isn't watching Frozen II with her husband and 4 kiddos, she's sharing her work on Instagram and in her Facebook group, All Bodies Are Good Bodies. Small Steps in the Show:  Imagine what you would say to the younger version of yourself going through a hard time and have compassion for yourself. Eat what sounds good to you, regardless of how “healthy” diet culture deems it. Get support from a professional if you feel like you can't eat or it’s unsafe. Read the Fat Girl Bill of Rights and use them as comforting things Diversify your feeds and media to show larger bodies and bodies that are a different size. Look at the levels of Fat Allyship and listen to the Fat and Faithful podcast (links below) to see where and how you can support folks in larger bodies.   Mentioned in the Show: Buy my Enamel Pin Small Steps #17 What is Diet Culture? Amanda’s IG Post on Fat as an Accessibility Issue Amanda’s IG Post on Internalized Fatphobia NEDA directory for eating disorder support Free & Low Cost Support from NEDA Amanda’s IG Post on Fat Allyship Fat and Faithful Podcast episode on Fat Allyship Amanda’s Website Work with Amanda Fat and Faithful Podcast Buy Amanda’s Book, Lovely: How I Learned to Embrace the Body God Gave Me The Good Body Etsy Store Join Amanda’s Newsletter (to get the Fat Girl Bill of Rights) Follow Amanda on Instagram | Facebook Get the full show notes here! Follow Aimee on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest Sign up for the Wellness Wednesdays Newsletter Interested in working with Aimee? Find out information here. Edited by Eilise Bonebright

84 | How to Embrace that Your Body + All Bodies are Good with Amanda Martinez Beck

In all times of our lives, joy can be a vital part of our health and healing. And it can also feel a bit hard to access, or maybe even feel for a lot of us. This episode talks about how we can start to notice, feel and then create more joy in our lives, as well as honoring the full spectrum of our emotions, not just the bad.   Small Steps in the Show:  Check in with yourself on how your joy is Start noticing joy in your life  What can it look like to you? Check in to see how and where you feel it Notice when you’re in the joy and see if you can savor it just a little longer Consider ways you can create joy more in your day to day and try to make more space for joy Consider setting daily intentions to create more joy or opening the day with “How can I create more joy in my day today?” Record the joy in your day in whatever way works for you Extend yourself so much kindness and compassion as you work on this   Mentioned in the Show: Buy my Enamel Pin Small Steps #50 with Vanessa Checchio Lima Dr. Tee Williams Shirin Eskandani of Wholehearted Coaching Small Steps #30 with Shirin Eskandani Wholehearted Coaching the Podcast  Get the full show notes here! Follow Aimee on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest Sign up for the Wellness Wednesdays Newsletter

83 | Noticing, Feeling and Creating Joy

As we continue to move through and live in uncertain times, it can be helpful to check in with ourselves to see how we’re doing and taking care of ourselves. This episode invites you to take some time to check in with you and create small steps that can be supportive for you during this time.   Small Steps in the Show:  Set aside some time to think or journal on some or all of these questions Choose one or two small step answers from your questions and try then throughout the week or weeks Adjust them as needed as you try them out Consider doing this check in again in a few weeks Have so much kindness and compassion for yourself as you check in and make adjustments and move throughout this time   Mentioned in the Show: Buy my Enamel Pin Small Steps #25 How are You? A Self Care Check In Small Steps #31 How Do You Feel? A Rest Check In Small Steps #45 What Do You Need? A Busy Check In  National Suicide Prevention Hotline, US Crisis Services Canada Open Path Collective (lower cost therapy and teletherapy) Inclusive Therapists (lower cost therapy and teletherapy) BetterHelp (teletherapy) Talkspace (teletherapy) Small Steps #79 Taking Care of Yourself in Uncertain Times Small Steps #80 Tips and Tricks for Working from Home Small Steps #81 Ways to Lower Stress and Anxiety Get the full show notes here! Follow Aimee on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest Sign up for the Wellness Wednesdays Newsletter

82 | How Are You?: A Self Care Check-In for Uncertain Times

Dealing with and sitting with your stress and anxiety can be a lot in normal times, and in not as normal times it can feel even more difficult. This episode talks about how you acknowledge your stress and/or anxiety, ways to work with it and lower it, and how you can take steps in your day to day to make you a little more resilient.   Small Steps in the Show:  Recognize that you’re feeling stress and/or anxiety Identify where you’re feeling stress and/or anxiety in your body Take a few deep belly breaths Try a few ways to soothe yourself Consider getting support from others Invest in ways in your day to day that help you take care of you Give yourself a lot of kindness and compassion as you move through your stress and/or anxiety   Mentioned in the Show: Buy my Enamel Pin National Suicide Prevention Hotline, US Crisis Services Canada Open Path Collective (lower cost therapy and teletherapy) BetterHelp (teletherapy) Talkspace (teletherapy) Dr. Tee Williams Brené Brown Self Compassion by Kristen Neff Small Steps #73: Ways to Drink More Water   Get the full show notes here! Follow Aimee on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest Sign up for the Wellness Wednesdays Newsletter

81 | Ways to Lower Stress and Anxiety

Aimée Suen, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and food blogger from Small Eats is here to educate, inspire and empower you to grow, try new things, and live a life you fully feel good about, one small step at a time. Through interviews and solo shows, she talks about all aspects of health and wellness, from nutrition, movement, mindset, mental health, spirituality, body image, and so much more. Each show has small steps that you can try and see how they work for you, whether you’re new to the topic or have already started trying it in your life. You can do it, one small step at a time.

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Small Steps

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