Healthy Parenting Handbook with Katie Kimball

If you’ve ever bribed a child with dessert to get three more bites of broccoli into their mouth, this interview may mess with your head a little.
In a good way.
Because what if our intense focus on getting healthy food INTO our kids is accidentally teaching them some not-so-healthy habits about eating?
When I first interviewed sociologist, parent educator, and feeding expert Dr. Dina Rose, her ideas challenged the way I thought about feeding my own kids. In fact, this conversation continues to influence how our family handles desserts and sweet treats today.
Dina’s big idea sounds almost too simple: Healthy eating isn’t only about what kids eat. It’s about the habits they’re learning around food.
That means we have to think beyond fruits, vegetables, protein, and all the other nutritional boxes we’re trying desperately to check before bedtime.
Are our kids learning to recognize when they’re hungry and full?
Are they learning to eat a variety of foods?
Are sweets becoming rewards, comfort, or forbidden treasures?
And are we accidentally creating power struggles because we’re so worried about getting those vegetables into them?
Dina boils healthy eating down to three habits: proportion, variety, and moderation. And I have to tell you, thinking in terms of three habits instead of servings, nutrients, and “Did anyone eat something green today?” feels like a breath of fresh air.
In this interview, we’ll dig into why focusing too heavily on nutrition can backfire, how kids’ taste preferences are shaped, why variety does NOT have to mean constantly serving new foods, and how sweets and treats can have a reasonable place in a healthy relationship with food.
Some of Dina’s ideas challenged me when I first heard them.
They still make me think.
And I have a feeling you’ll have a few “Wait...what?” moments too.
Let’s dig in.
Resources We Mention for Changing Eating Habits
Dr. Dina’s book: It’s Not About the Broccoli
My video on “Growing Foods vs. Fun Foods”
Don’t underestimate kids’ taste buds!
Get on the list for the next No More Picky Eating Challenge
Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook!
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 raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast
Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

If part one of my conversation with Dr. Stephanie Gray made you question what you thought you knew about hormones, buckle up. Part two goes even deeper.
Dr. Gray is the author of The Hormone Blueprint, and she has spent years researching and working with women on hormones, thyroid health, metabolism, and hormone replacement therapy.
And moms, this conversation is especially for us.
We get incredibly practical about testing, what may actually be hiding inside hormone prescriptions, and why Dr. Gray believes women need a much more nuanced conversation about HRT, breast cancer, brain health, bones, and aging.
We talk about:
The hormone and thyroid tests Dr. Gray recommends women ask about, including one metabolic marker your doctor may not routinely check
Why she says a “normal” lab result and an optimal result can be two very different things
The surprising inactive ingredients she found inside some hormone prescriptions, including dyes, preservatives, and other ingredients you might never think to look for
Why the way you take hormones matters, from pills and creams to patches and pellets
What happens when you wear an estrogen patch in a sauna. Yes, Dr. Gray actually researched this!
The complicated relationship between HRT and breast cancer, including research Dr. Gray says challenges some long-held assumptions
Why she believes women should consider not only the possible risks of taking hormones, but also the risks of going without them
How hormones may fit into the bigger picture of protecting our bones, brains, cardiovascular health, metabolism, and quality of life as we age
There is a LOT here, and this is definitely an episode where you may want to grab a notebook, jot down questions, and bring them to a healthcare provider who understands hormone health. You can also print off the cheat sheet of the episode – grab it here! 
Because “I guess feeling terrible is just part of getting older” is not a health plan.
Here’s part two of my conversation with Dr. Stephanie Gray.
Resources We Mention for Hormone Replacement Therapy and Hormone Testing
Grab one of Dr. Stephanie’s books: Your Longevity Blueprint (Amazon/Bookshop.org); Your Fertility Blueprint (Amazon/Bookshop.org); Your Hormone Blueprint (Amazon/Bookshop.org).
Get 10% off supplements at Dr. Stephanie’s site with the code KIDS.
Perimenopause could be the best years of your life! with Jenn Pike
More about menopause and hormones with Cynthia Thurlow here and here
How to start and keep with a new habit
Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook!
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 raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast
Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

Were you scared away from taking hormone replacement therapy?
I was. 100%!
But this conversation with Dr. Stephanie Gray may have changed my mind. 
I’m 46, firmly in the “what is happening to my body and what is ABOUT to happen?” stage of life, and I had definitely absorbed the message that hormone replacement therapy was a Big Scary Decision.
I couldn’t have explained the research. I couldn’t have named the famous study that scared so many women away from hormones. I just had this sense of, “Ooh, probably not for me. I’ll just eat my way to good health and keep my mobility, thankyouverymuch.”
You know what I mean?
That’s exactly why this conversation fascinated me.
Dr. Stephanie Gray has been working with hormones for well over a decade, and she walked me through what actually happened with the research that shaped our cultural fear of hormone therapy, what she believes we got wrong, and some REALLY important distinctions that tend to get flattened into one little word: hormones.
This one gets dense in the best possible way. We’re talking perimenopause, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, delivery methods, heart health, brain health, metabolic health, and why the details matter enormously.
Listen in to hear:
Why the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative study scared a generation of women away from hormone therapy, and the three major problems Dr. Gray sees with how that research was conducted
The surprisingly simple way to tell whether the hormone you’ve been prescribed is actually the same hormone your body makes
Why Dr. Gray says “progesterone” and “progestin” are NOT interchangeable words, even though they’re often treated that way
What oral estrogen has to do with the liver and clotting risk, and why the delivery method of a hormone matters
Patches, creams, pellets, lozenges, injections…oh my! How the options differ and why this definitely isn’t a one-size-fits-all conversation
Why timing matters when women consider hormone therapy, especially around perimenopause and menopause
Dr. Gray’s “healthy house” analogy for understanding estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid hormones without needing a medical degree
The connection she draws between declining hormones and four major health concerns as we age: cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, and metabolic dysfunction
If your entire understanding of hormone replacement therapy is basically, “Wasn’t there a study saying that was dangerous?” you are absolutely not alone.
I was right there with you.
This conversation gave me a LOT more questions to ask, which is exactly where I want to be when I’m making decisions about my health.
Resources We Mention for HRT and Perimenopause Hormones
Grab one of Dr. Stephanie’s books: Your Longevity Blueprint (Amazon/Bookshop.org); Your Fertility Blueprint (Amazon/Bookshop.org); Your Hormone Blueprint (Amazon/Bookshop.org).
Get 10% off supplements at Dr. Stephanie’s site with the code KIDS.
Perimenopause could be the best years of your life! with Jenn Pike
More about menopause and hormones with Cynthia Thurlow here and here
Women build muscle differently – especially over age 30
Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook!
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 raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast
Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

What should you do when your child is overwhelmed, melting down, refusing to cooperate, or acting like they cannot handle something you know they can do?
In part two of this conversation, Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge explains how parents can help kids build a more regulated nervous system before, during, and after stressful moments. She shares why parents should regulate first, connect second, and correct only after a child is calm enough to think and learn. Here's part one if you missed it. 
You’ll also learn why constantly rescuing kids from discomfort can prevent them from building stress tolerance, how to support a child without immediately fixing the problem, and why small daily regulation practices can make a big difference over time.
Dr. Roseann shares a simple 4-7-8 breathing practice parents can use throughout the day to lower stress and build greater nervous system capacity! This is just one of at least 5 solid techniques Dr. Ro shares with us, things you can implement right away at home. 
Don't forget to check out Dr. Roseann's new book, The Dysregulated Child.
Resources We Mention for Helping Your Dysregulated Child
Dr. Roseann’s book The Dysregulated Child releases 9/22/26! Grab it now.
Episodes on stress mastery: Can We Help Our Highly Sensitive Kids Handle Their Stress? and Stress Busting for Moms
What Is Nervous System Work, and Why Is It Important?
Raising Kids Who Can Do Hard Things with Dr. Kathryn Hecht
Try the Stress Mastery Challenge for free
Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook!
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 raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast
Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

When your child is melting down, refusing to listen, shutting down, or exploding over something small, their nervous system may be overwhelmed—not ready for more words or discipline.
Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge, a longtime friend of mine and Raising Healthy Families, explains what happens in the brain when kids become dysregulated and why their ability to think logically can temporarily go offline. She shares how a child’s “stress cup” fills up, why parents and kids can co-regulate or co-dysregulate, and why your own nervous system is one of the most powerful parenting tools you have.
You’ll also learn why the middle of a meltdown is usually the worst time to reason with your child, how to use a simple three-second “love pause,” and why regulation needs to come before teaching, correcting, or problem-solving.
This episode gives parents practical ways to respond with fewer words, more calm, and a better understanding of what their child’s behavior may be communicating.
If this episode hits a nerve, make sure you grab a copy of Dr. Ro’s new book, The Dysregulated Child.
Resources We Mention for Helping Your Dysregulated Child
Dr. Roseann’s book The Dysregulated Child releases 9/22/26! Grab it now.
Preventing nervous system wounds in your child with Ann Odom
Episodes on stress mastery: Can We Help Our Highly Sensitive Kids Handle Their Stress? and Stress Busting for Moms
Try the Stress Mastery Challenge for free
Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook!
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 raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast
Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!