097: Teens Want to Be in Control. Here's Why They're NOT (& What They Can Do About it) Direct from a Teen Author of The Teen Health Revolution
My guest today is 17-year-old Abdullah Ansari, and listening to him talk about teen health, food, stress, tech, and purpose made my jaw drop more than once. Not because he sounded rehearsed or polished. But because he sounded awake in a way most adults are still struggling to be.He talks about teen health like it is urgent. Because it is. He talks about food like it is power. Because it is. And he talks about freedom in a way that completely reframes how most teens think about independence.If you are raising a teen right now, or if you will be in the next few years, I truly believe this episode is one you will want to listen to together.Here is just a small taste of what we unpack in this conversation:Why ultra-processed food is designed to override a teen’s self-controlHow the gut microbiome directly affects mood, anxiety, focus, and skinWhy scrolling is not actually a “break” for a stressed-out brainTwo free, simple stress reset tools every teen can use todayHow Abdullah handles peer pressure when everyone else is eating junkWhy gratitude is not just emotional but biologicalHow purpose changes the way teens use their bodies and their timeResources We Mention for the Teen Health RevolutionOrder The Teen Health Revolution: Unlocking Lifestyle Secrets for the Mind, Body, and Soul by Abdullah Ansari, Zain Ansari, Emaad Ansari, Qasim Ansari, and Madiha Saeed, MD on Amazon or Bookshop.orgIf you order the book before December 11, 2025, get the awesome bonuses from Abdullah and fam!Holistic Parenting with Dr. SaeedGetting to the Root of Chronic Inflammation and Disease in Kids with Dr. Madiha SaeedOne Simple Stress-Busting Habit to Use Every DayListen to the Holistic Kids’ Show podcast!Visit Abullah and brothers at their website The Holistic Kid’s Show or visit them on Facebook or InstagramShop Wholestix and eat your organ meats here! Get four free life skills workshops now! Kitchen Stewardship Raising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates YouTube shorts channel for HPH Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at kidscookrealfood.com/podcast Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!
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096: Coughs, Colds and Bees: How Honey and Other BEE Products Can Keep our Kids Healthy! with Carly of Beekeeper’s Naturals
Coughs, Flu and School Germs, oh my!If cold-and-flu season causes tremors in your heart but you hate the idea of using over-the-counter drugs on your kids just to get through the night, I have great news: The bees got your back.Carly from Beekeeper’s Naturals joins us today to share about the power of nature – she will feed your science geek brain and share SO many practical ideas and uses for bee products (bet you’ve never even heard of some of them!):What beats coughs as effectively as OTC cough meds but with no side effects?Find out about a natural anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal product that you can ingest or use on the skin for coughs, rashes, scrapes, immunity boosting, allergies, and “that ominous tickle.” Amazing stuff!What gives queen bees the vitality to have 1500 babies a day and live 20x longer than other bees? Want some? Humans have been using it for centuries!Two different ways to calm anxiety and get better sleep, something we know everyone needs!Find incredible focus with an age-old nootropic that may help heal concussions, build new brain cells, prevent signs of aging brains and more…this stuff is so cool!!Resources We Mention About Health Benefits of HoneyShop Beekeepers Naturals (use code KITCHEN20 for 20% off!)Pre-order Carly’s picture book, Little Bee and the Bloom (releasing August 2026) on Amazon or Bookshop.orgHow to Bake with HoneyMy interview with Carly about bee population declineMore ways to improve sleepHealth benefits of honeyMore natural ways to combat coughs and coldsFind Beekeeper’s Naturals on Instagram or FacebookShop Wholestix and eat your organ meats here! Kitchen Stewardship Raising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates YouTube shorts channel for HPH Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at kidscookrealfood.com/podcast Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!
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095: How Can We Allow Other People to Partner with Us in Parenting? with Author of Don't Mom Alone Heather MacFadyen
We’re lonely!It’s hurting us!And we’re not very good at connecting with other humans.Heather MacFadyen is here to help. Author and podcaster of Don’t Mom Alone, she’s all about building connection to help moms do their jobs better.“Loneliness can be when you’re with others but not feeling truly known,” she said in this encouraging interview. We talk about the 3 kinds of relationships moms need to nurture, how to shed the unattainable standards society is trying to place on us, and how to antidote loneliness in the most practical of ways.We hit on anger, lies and truths, podcast clubs and more.If you’ve ever felt the vulnerability of making a new friend or wish you were brave enough to take the risk and make a coffee date or go for a walk with a new friend…you need this interview.Grab Heather’s book at your local library or bookshop and be sure to subscribe to the Don’t Mom Alone podcast (along with of course The Healthy Parenting Handbook)!Resources We Mention for Building Mom FriendshipsHeather's books: Don't Mom Alone (Amazon/Bookshop.org) and Right Where You Belong (Amazon/Bookshop.org)Subscribe to Heather's podcast, Don't Mom AloneMel Robbins podcast episode: Why Making Friends as an Adult Feels ImpossibleThe Science of Friendship with Dr. Marisa G. FrancoPeople Fuel by John TownsendGood and Angry by Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller Emotional Regulation for Moms with Emily HamblinVisit Heather on her website HeatherMacFadyen.com or on social media: Instagram, FacebookShop Wholestix and eat your organ meats here! Get four free life skills workshops now! Kitchen Stewardship Raising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates YouTube shorts channel for HPH Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at kidscookrealfood.com/podcast Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!
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094: Homeschool Routines That Build Connection with Pam Barnhill
If you’ve ever felt that homeschooling can slip into a checklist of math pages and grammar drills, you’ll love this conversation. Pam Barnhill, a veteran homeschooling mom of over 15 years, reminds us what education can truly be: a chance to connect deeply with our kids and nurture a lifelong love of learning.Resources We Mention for Homeschool Routines Get Pam’s free Advent Morning Time PlansCheck out her books: Gather; Better Together (Amazon/Bookshop.org); Plan Your Year (Amazon/Bookshop.org); The Confident Homeschooler Is homeschooling right for me? What is a morning basketNurturing Young SkepticsGet on the wailist for Teens Cook Real FoodVisit Pam on her website Homeschool Better Together, and follow her on social media: Instagram, Facebook, YouTubeShop Wholestix and eat your organ meats here! Get four free life skills workshops now! Kitchen Stewardship Raising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates YouTube shorts channel for HPH Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at kidscookrealfood.com/podcast Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!
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093: Eating Disorders Expert & Dietitian on How to Foster a Healthy Relationship with Food for Your Kids
The very morning I did this interview, my husband was complaining about how badly he felt because of a certain number...and when I heard Heidi's final "practical" challenge to parents, I knew we had to do it. This interview was a HUGE paradigm shift for me, and you will alternately want to turn it off as it gets challenging and find yourself cheering out loud!Heidi Schauster, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S is an expert on eating disorders and talks with me today about how we as parents can foster a healthy relationship with food for our kids. We cover risk factors for eating disorders, mindful eating, how to handle treats at school and elsewhere, what "rules" parents should (and should not!) have for food in the home, the quickest way to make your child into a binge eater, how we should talk about weight and body image with our kids, and so much more.This is a MUST WATCH interview because our entire culture is disordered in how to think and talk about body image, so we have a LOT of work to do to make positive change! Heidi and I continued to talk after I ended the recording and I kept catching myself using the wrong language about food. She said, "This is great - you're creating new neural pathways right in front of my eyes!" Resources We Mentioned for Healthy Relationships with Food:Heidi's books: Nourish: How to Heal Your Relationship with Food, Body, and Self (Amazon/Bookshop.org) and Nurture: How to Raise Kids Who Love Food, Their Bodies, and Themselves (Amazon/Bookshop.org)More on Ellyn Satter's division of responsibility in feedingHealth at Every SizeThe No More Picky Eating ChallengeWhat happened when the 8-year-old sneaked Halloween candy?Visit Heidi's website here or follow her on the socials: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, FacebookShop Wholestix and eat your organ meats here! Get four free life skills workshops now! Kitchen Stewardship Raising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates YouTube shorts channel for HPH Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at kidscookrealfood.com/podcast Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!
About Healthy Parenting Handbook with Katie Kimball
Truth: Kids don’t come with a handbook! But what if there was a parenting handbook that aligned with your healthy living values? In each episode of the Healthy Parenting Handbook Podcast, mom of 4 Katie Kimball interviews experts in fields like nutrition, medicine, psychology, parenting, technology, entrepreneurship, and more to give parents tools to raise healthy, independent kids. Intentional parents, here comes clarity about what you can DO to keep your kids physically and mentally healthy!
South Africa