Do you struggle with feeling confident in your body? Welcome to the club! YOU ARE NOT ALONE! It’s estimated up to 90% of women out there feel uncomfortable in their body. If you’re among the 90%, you’re obviously in good company and this is exactly why we’re here having this conversation!

The fact is, we do live in our body and whether we like it or not, we will do ourselves a huge favor if we learn to get a bit more comfortable TODAY.

I have a FREE workshop for you guys on my website: How To Feel Confident In Your Body Without Obsessing Over Food.

Today we are breaking down 3 Secrets to feeling more confident in your body, immediately!

#1) Check in on your social media use.

The research could not be more clearly showing that this is impacting and changing the way we view our bodies. Research has shown that as few as six seconds of scrolling can lower our body confidence. Just six seconds!!! I have felt this firsthand, have you? I’ve also seen it and the clients I work with. I had a gal come in one day at 1 o’clock. When we started talking she said she was having a really rough body image day, but she didn’t start the day this way. 

She said she started the day feeling really confident in her body. Then, all of a sudden after lunch, it’s like something just completely switch!  We looked at her day and started to backtrack. What was she doing? Who was she talking to? We get to the point right before lunch and she said she sat down and got on TikTok. So, I asked her if I could see her feed. When she pulled it out, we both gave a chuckle. Anybody would have been triggered by her feed!

It was full of fitness gurus in little to no clothing, diets, and images of women’s body parts (you know the photos that cut off their heads)! We very quickly connected the dots to show that her time on these platforms, especially when she is in autopilot mode, was a time she was set up to feel less than adequate. Once we are able to make that connection, we set some boundaries around social media. It was a game-changer for her, and I know it will be for you too!

#2 Buy clothes that fit!

I know I know you might be in a part of your journey where your body is changing. Maybe you’re pregnant, maybe your postpartum, maybe you have gained or lost weight or you have goals that are associated with changes. Here’s the thing, no matter where you are, that’s where you are today! And when we can get really honest about where we are, it is incredibly powerful because it shifts our mentality to living in the moment. And guess where all your power is… in the moment!

For example, if you are trying to get yourself to go to the gym one of the worst things you can do is have clothes that feel uncomfortable or don’t fit. You’re already walking into a place that is out of your comfort zone and if you combine that with physically uncomfortable clothing you’re setting yourself up to do double the mental work!

#3 Do some sort of resistance training and increase your protein!

As women, we need more protein and this becomes increasingly important as we age. Adequate protein intake allows us to replenish our amino acid pool within our body leading us to feel stronger. In addition to protein, research shows people who incorporate some sort of resistance or weightlifting feel better in their bodies. Sign me up for that! When I started weightlifting (after my first son was born) it was completely out of my comfort zone. But it was WORTH IT!

I cannot convey in words how empowering it has become to have heavy weights on my back and do a squat. Most of all, these feelings of empowerment really shined up when I went to Costco about six months later and I could lift the bag of 40-pound dog food! I felt so strong and so proud of myself! I know you will feel the same with this body bully lethal combo!

As we enter February, the season of love, my hope is that you can extend some of that love to your own self in your own body. And you can start with these three things! I want you to try these 3 secrets to success and watch how it completely changes how you talk to your body. I hope this blesses you today and in case no one told you today, you are awesome!

Cheers and happy eating!

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Is Protein Powder something I should supplement with?

How is it processed?

Does it actually work?

I had all these questions too! That is why I reached out to the expert. Today, I am bringing Darcy Higgins, CEO of Gruppo Nutrition and Polar Joe, to talk to us about the production, processing, and science behind protein powder.

Gruppo Nutrition is a sports drink company that targets athletes and more recently he launched Polar Joe to expand his fuel-forward philosophy beyond athletes.

I personally am a big fan of these products! I have a serving of Polar Joe most days! I asked him to come to the show today to unpack the details on how protein supplements are made, processed, and if they really are a healthy option.

When it comes to protein here is everything you need to know about protein powder:

1. Consuming doses of protein has advantages over having small amounts throughout the day.

Research shows that when people have a low amount of protein throughout the day, they don’t get the same benefits as they do when they have 20-30g doses 3-6 times per day.

2. You need more of it as you get older.

When you were 18, you could have 6g of protein and turn on the muscle repair process. As we age, we have a harder time turning triggering that process. As an adult, we need closer to 20-30g doses of protein to trigger muscle repair. Our total protein needs also go up as our body has a more difficult time building muscle.

3. Look for leucine.

Leucine is a specific amino acid that is known as the “trigger” protein. It is the one that gets into our muscles and says “Let’s start building!” Leucine can be found in dairy products, beef, chicken, eggs, nuts, and soybeans. It is very high in concentration in whey protein powders.

 Pro-tip: It tastes better with coffee.

Most of us need more protein than we can CONVENIENTLY eat within a day. This is exactly why I am a big fan of supplementing with protein. When choosing a protein powder, look for those that have little added ingredients. If you choose whey protein, choose one that is a “whey isolate” instead of a whey concentrate.

For my favorite whey protein powder check out Polar Joe and enter “fuelherawesome” at checkout for 15% off!

My personal favorite? Their Match Pro-TEA is where it is at! This combines some of the incredible benefits of matcha with protein powder.

I am literally drinking mine as I write this!

Are you loving becoming an Empowered Eater? This podcast is here to support you weekly, but it only scratches the surface. For more info on how you can become an empowered eater grab my FREE WORKSHOP: HOW TO BECOME CONFIDENT IN YOUR BODY WITHOUT OBSESSING OVER FOOD. You will get all the deets on the top 3 mistakes I see people make that prevents them from becoming an empowered eater. Stop what you are doing now! Watch it! So you can avoid making these mistakes.

Bottom line… it is time to drop the body and food hang-ups because you are way too awesome to carry them any longer. Plus as women doing all the things, we don’t have time to waste any energy! Can’t wait to see you in there! As for the show, I will see you right back here at Fuel Her Awesome next Monday!

Cheers friends, and happy eating!

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 Related episodes:

SHOULD YOU USE A PROTEIN SUPPLEMENT? ALL THE DETAILS ON MY FAVORITE PROTEIN POWDER. INTERVIEW WITH POLAR JOE CREATOR DARCY HAGGITH

All her life she was told her body wasn’t good enough and that it needed to be fixed… 

…and because Hannah believed this for so long, she was never able to feel confident in her body or make health changes stick. 

As diets came and went with no lasting results, shame stacked upon shame and this perpetuated the thought that something was wrong with her body.

If you believe your body is inherently wrong, why would you be motivated to take care of it?

In today’s episode my long-time client and Next Level Nutrition student, Hannah Wood, is sharing her journey from body war to body peace and how this transformed her health. 

It hasn’t been easy for her. Especially in the culture we live in that tells us we must be thin to be healthy. Against it all, Hannah has found a better way.

She knows her body is worthy of respect.

She now feels inspired to take care of her body.

She now has found a way to integrate exercise and empowered eating skills that actually stick!

Hannah discovered how empowered eating creates values-based health goals so you don’t have to fight with your body. How did she get here? Let me break it down for you in three Steps:

1. Create values-based health goals

To shift our outcome we have to shift our mindset. And to make a mindset sustainable it has to be tied to what you value most. The coolest part about Stef’s story is that she leaned into her values, hard! She restructured all her goals around what is most important to her instead of obsessing over weight loss.

The ironic part? When she approached food and exercise through this new perspective, she still lost weight. But it wasn’t from in an obsessive, unsustainable way… instead, it was done with patience and there was peace every step of her journey. For more support on setting up your values and creating values-based health goals check out Food Foundations (which is on SALE this week)!

2. Learn about biofeedback

Biofeedback is simply a fancy word for what your body says about food. Yes, we know what the headlines say and what your favorite Instagram influencer says. There are about a million videos on TicTok that outline what you should and shouldn’t eat… but what does your BODY SAY? The art of biofeedback is life-changing.

Learning to interpret what your body says about food and adjust your eating accordingly removes all guilt and shame from the equation. It is a step that must come BEFORE any fuel planning or nutrition changes. It is THE step that will make your fuel plan changes sustainable.

In Hannah’s story, it was the light bulb that turned on and forever changed her relationship with food. For more details on what it is and how to identify biofeedback, check out Food Foundations (which is on SALE this week)!

3. Gradually work on your customized Fuel Plan

Nutrition science is so cool. There is a reason I geek out about it. Although, if it wasn’t my full-time career I would be overwhelmed because there is so much out there!! This is why I find such joy in creating customized fuel plans. It is where my years of schooling and education meet your hard work, your story, your genetics, and your goals.

I know Hannah’s story will leave you feeling inspired. If it moves you to take that next step, Next Level Nutrition is accepting applications through TODAY! Next Level Nutrition is our LIVE Group Coaching Mastermind! Next Level Nutrition kicks off in a couple of days so snag your spot NOW! Check out all the details and snag your spot at https://jessbrownrd.com/nextlevelnutrition/.

Cannot wait to see what you can do when you live empowered!

Cheers, and happy eating!

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 Related episodes:

STILL SELF-SABOTAGING? WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT AND HOW TO STOP! INTERVIEW WITH TANJA SHAW.

FROM KETO TO FOOD FREEDOM TO SUPER FIT! HOW PEACE AND PERSPECTIVE CHANGE EVERYTHING ON YOUR PLATE. INTERVIEW WITH STEF GASS