Chef Virginia Willis has transformed her life since starting her health journey in 2019. She is now happier mentally and physically, and she has maintained a 65 pound weight loss. Willis has become a cheerleader for those wanting to make their own life changes, saying “If a French-trained Southern chef can do it, you can, too!”  She says a key to success is build guardrails to keep you on your healthy path. List to learn what she means by that---and prepare to be inspired! Willis is a James...

Welcome to Ellie's Spring Forward series where she revisits some of her most popular episodes that will help put winter behind you. Two things are true about health and weight that seem to be diametrically opposed to one another. One truth: diet culture and focusing on weight loss is toxic. And the other truth: many people in the US would be healthier and feel better if they lost weight. How do we reconcile these seemingly conflicting concerns as individuals and as a society? The...

Welcome to Ellie's Spring Forward series where she revisits some of her most popular episodes that will help put winter behind you. In this first episode of her podcast, Ellie speaks directly with listeners, introducing them to “one real good thing” that she thinks is one of the most transformative changes you can make. It’s a simple shift in mindset away from the all-or-nothing approach so many fad diets advocate, toward a more balanced, realistic food philosophy that is the foundation of...

Diet culture permeates our society, and has untold negative effects on our well-being. But once we learn to see diet culture for what it is, we can step away from it toward true health. In this episode, Leslie Schilling, registered dietitian, shows us how to spot the diet culture that shows up even in the safest places –school, medical offices, and places of worship— and be empowered to step away from it. Leslie Schilling, MA, RDN, owns a Las Vegas-based private practice specializing in...

We breathe all the time without giving it any thought, but paying attention to our breath is one way to unlock the door to a better life. In this episode, guest Kristin McGee, one of the most sought after and recognized yoga instructors in New York City, explains how connecting with our breath can help us, and she offers easy ways to make it part of our lives. Throughout her career, Kristin McGee has been a pioneer in making yoga more accessible. Kristin has starred in yoga DVD’s, has...

If you are stuck in the mindset that healthy food is bland or boring, this episode will surely shake you out of it. Chef Adrianne Calvo, known for her signature “Maximum Flavor” style, is here to share her secrets for getting big, bold flavor in a healthy way. Chef Adrianne Calvo is an award-winning Miami based restaurateur, cookbook author, Emmy-nominated YouTube show host and podcaster.  Her highly-acclaimed restaurants, Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Bar and Cracked by Chef...

Sleep is critical to our overall health, but many of us struggle with insomnia and other sleep issues. In this episode, sleep specialist Dr. Shelby Harris explains how practicing the basics of good sleep hygiene can make all the difference. Shelby Harris PsyD, DBSM is a psychologist and sleep specialist in private practice in NY. She is board certified in Behavioral Sleep Medicine and treats a wide variety of sleep, anxiety and depression issues using evidence-based non-medication...

While it’s good to follow the well-known Golden Rule, Mister Manners says the Platinum Rule is even better. Find out what he means by that, and how “going platinum” can enrich your relationships and make a huge difference in your life.  Mister Manners, Thomas P. Farley, is America’s trusted etiquette expert. A keynote speaker, workshop leader, syndicated columnist and TV commentator, he inspires audiences of all types to master essential communication strategies for success in the...

Think you don’t have enough time to cook? Well, think again, because guest Ali Rosen is sharing her best tips and tricks for making incredibly flavorful meals in just 15-minutes. Ali Rosen is the Emmy and James Beard Award nominated host of Potluck with Ali Rosen on NYC Life. She is the bestselling author of three cookbooks, 15 Minute Meals, Modern Freezer Meals and Bring It!, and she's been featured everywhere from The Today Show to The New York Times and has written for publications...

One path to a happier life is experiencing it with all of our senses. In this episode, Gretchen Rubin explains how tuning into sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing can help us get us out of our heads and into the world. Gretchen Rubin is one of today’s most influential and thought-provoking observers of happiness and human nature. She’s an unusual combination: a literary writer who explores how we can put transcendent ideas into practice. She’s the author of five New York Times bestselling...

Stir-frying can be one of the most nutritious and delicious ways to cook, and there is no one better than “The Stir-Fry Guru” herself, Grace Young, to help us level up our stir-fry so it’s better tasting, and better-for-you. In this episode she shares her game changing  tips and tricks. Grace Young is an award-winning cookbook author, culinary historian, and filmmaker. She is a 2023 Forbes 50 Over 50 honoree, is the recipient of the Julia Child Award, the James Beard Foundation’s...

Is the way to talk to yourself bringing you down? Your internal dialog can have a profound impact on your well-being. In this episode, psychologist Dr Rachel Goldman helps us tap into our self-talk, recognize negative patterns, and take steps to flip the script for the better.  Rachel L. Goldman, Ph.D., FTOS (a.k.a. Dr. Rachel) is a licensed psychologist, speaker and consultant who takes a holistic approach to health. She specializes in the mind-body connection, including stress reduction,...

Most diets seem to be about what NOT to eat, but the best way to improve your health and longevity in the long run is to forget diets and focus on foods to say YES to—what preventative medical expert and chef Dr. Michael Crupain calls The Power Five. In this episode he explains what the healthiest foods are and how they can lead to a life full of flavor. Michael Crupain, MD, MPH is board certified preventive medicine physician and author of the cookbook The Power Five.  He has had a unique...

The holiday season is the perfect time to gather and create (and write down) traditional family recipes. In a previous episode Ellie spoke with her friend Eric Kim, New York Times staff writer and columnist for The New York Times Magazine. He spent a year cooking with his mother Jean for his book Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home. He and Ellie discuss how writing down family recipes can enrich your life in profound ways, and the (often funny) challenges that can arise in the...

During the holiday season it’s easy to fall into the trap of drinking too much. But what's the definition of “too much"? What does drinking in moderation actually mean? Luckily, in a previous episode I interviewed celebrated dietitian Kathleen Zelman who helps us to understand it all and provide strategies on how to drink more mindfully this season and beyond. Kathleen Zelman MPH, RDN, LD, is a food, nutrition and media communication consultant, an advisor to the Distilled Spirits Council,...

One easy thing you can do to bring balance to the holidays, both health- and flavor-wise, is to focus on fresh. That doesn’t mean putting out boring salads or lame vegetable trays—it means making dishes that are vibrant and festive, crunchy, juicy and exciting. In a previous episode food writer and recipe developer Ann Taylor Pittman shared her tips for making fresh, healthy holiday dishes that will be first to get gobbled up. It's the perfect time of year to remember what Ann brings to the...

If you feel uninspired to exercise or you feel like you are not qualified to run, take a yoga class, play a sport, or whatever, because you’re too heavy, too slow, too uncoordinated, too old or too anything, this episode could change your life.  Martinus Evans, founder of the Slow AF Run Club is here to help us change our mindset about exercise, thinking about it not as a way to lose weight or win a race, but as a way to celebrate what your body is capable of at this very moment. Martinus...

At the core of Ellie’s food philosophy is that you can and should have food that is BOTH healthful and crave-ably delicious. There is no need to choose between the two. On this episode, Karen Akunowicz, named one of the “21 Badass Women Changing the Food World” by Marie Claire magazine, spills her best tips and tricks for giving food real crave-ability, and she and Ellie talk about why eating what you crave can be such a healthy thing to do. Akunowicz won the James Beard Foundation Award for...

Ready to shake up your routine and have more fun with everyday meals?  Frances Largeman-Roth helps us do just that, encouraging us to be more playful and relaxed with food, as she shares ideas from her new book Everyday Snack Tray: Easy Ideas and Recipes for Boards that Nourish for Moments Big and Small. Largeman-Roth is a New York Times best-selling author, nationally recognized health expert and registered dietitian who was the Food and Nutrition Director at Health magazine for nearly...

If you feel constantly stressed by the conflicting and alarming health information out there, you are not alone. Our media environment is practically designed to induce fear and anxiety. Tim Caulfield is the perfect person to help us break free of that. He has a remarkable talent for making sense of it all in the most engaging, entertaining way, helping us stress less and relax more by making evidence-informed everyday decisions about our health. Timothy Caulfield is a Canada Research Chair...

Chef Chris Scott’s signature soul food with a twist is inspired by his grandmother’s southern flavors and the German and Dutch cuisine of the Amish community he grew up in. The roots of his food culture, like so many others, is a testament to how much deliciousness can come from the most humble ingredients. With so many of us trying to stretch our own grocery dollar these days, Chef Scott helps us see how tapping into tradition, like that of the Amish soul food he was raised on, can help us...

If you could use more confidence in the kitchen, Sara Moulton is just the person to help. In this episode she gets us past the habits and mindsets that can trip us up, and offers ways to prevent and fix cooking mistakes. When we cook without fear we enjoy the process more and clear the path for getting better at it. Sara Moulton is the host of “Sara’s Weeknight Meals,” a public television show, heading into its 12 season. She also co-hosts a weekly segment on “Milk Street Radio,” with Chris...

If you think bitterness is a negative attribute, this episode will be an eye-opener. Incorporating bitter elements into your food and drink can not only make it taste better, it can make a surprising difference to your well-being.   Here to explain is Guido Masé, a clinical herbalist and a founder of the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism, a non-profit herbal medicine clinic and school who also serves as chief formulator at Traditional Medicinals, where he works on research,...