Healthy Parenting Handbook with Katie Kimball

Do you think you could be vulnerable enough to ask your kids, “How could I be a better parent?” Even the thought of that makes my chest tighten a little bit, but in this episode, Jon Hord is going to encourage dads—and moms—to do just that.
This conversation is such a powerful look at what it means to parent with intention instead of just reacting to whatever the day throws at you. Jon shares his own story of going from stressed, overwhelmed, and not showing up the way he wanted… to becoming a dad who is actively creating a new version of himself.
And the best part? This is not about perfection. It is about awareness, small shifts, and having the courage to grow.
If you have ever felt like you are just trying to get through the day without losing your patience, or wondered if you are really showing up the way your kids need, this episode will hit home in the best way.
In this episode, we cover:
 Why “being a good parent” might actually be aiming too low 
 The simple but uncomfortable question that can transform your relationship with your kids 
 What to do when your child gives you honest feedback… and it stings 
 How stress (especially from work) quietly shapes the parent you become at home 
 The difference between reacting to your kids and actually leading them 
 Why your childhood patterns show up in your parenting, whether you realize it or not 
 A practical way to pause in hard moments instead of escalating them 
 What it looks like to become the “new version” of yourself as a parent
Resources We Mention for Intentional Fatherhood
Join the Engaged Father Project community now
Decode Your Child’s Behavior and Dial in Your Parenting Boundaries from the Author of Transforming Toddlerhood, Devon Kuntzman
What is the role of fathers when it comes to teaching kids about health and food?
Don't miss #LifeSkillsNow Season 5! Register 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 raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast
Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

I love it when a conversation feels like it’s been years in the making. This one really has!
Today’s guest is someone who has quietly, faithfully shaped the way I think about food for a long time—my friend Wardee Harmon from Traditional Cooking School.
And if you’ve ever felt like the world of “healthy eating” is a swirl of contradictions…one expert says this, another says that…you are not alone. (Honestly, it can make your head spin before you even get dinner on the table.)
Wardee has this rare gift of bringing clarity to all that noise.
Her Eat God’s Way plan isn’t just another list of rules or trendy swaps. It’s a grounded, thoughtful look at the foods humans were designed to eat, paired with traditional methods that real families have used for generations. Things like soaking, fermenting, sourdough…not because they’re fancy, but because they work.
And I’ve seen firsthand how she teaches. She doesn’t overwhelm. She connects the dots.
She makes it feel doable, even if you’re starting from “we eat cereal for dinner sometimes and I’m just trying to survive.”
I also love that her perspective is rooted in faith, but she holds it with such grace. If that resonates with you, you’re going to feel right at home. And if it’s new or not quite your thing, there’s still so much practical wisdom here to take and run with.
Wardee is also one of our incredible leaders for #LifeSkillsNow! This year she is teaching a delicious gluten-free Blueberry Oat Cake.
So whether you’re curious about traditional foods, wondering if sourdough is worth the hype, or just hoping to feel a little more grounded in what you feed your family…
You’re in the right place.
Resources We Mention for Eating God’s Way

Get the Eat God’s Way books
Check out Wardee’s book Fermenting: Pickles, Kimchi, Kefir, Kombucha, Sourdough, Yogurt, Cheese and More! (The Self-Sufficient Kitchen) – Amazon, Bookshop.org
Healing eczema naturally
Health benefits of sourdough
See all the Traditional Cooking School courses
Don't miss #LifeSkillsNow Season 5! Register now. 
Shop Truly Free household cleaners and more at https://raisinghealthyfamilies.com/trulyfree!
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!

Let me ask you something. When was the last time you felt genuinely sharp? Not just “I had coffee and I’m functional” sharp, but clear-headed, energized, actually-in-the-room sharp?
Most of us have quietly accepted a version of ourselves that’s a little foggy, a little tired, a little “off” and chalked it up to getting older, being busy, or just how things are now. But here’s the thing: that fog has reasons. Real, biological, fixable reasons, and most of them have nothing to do with willpower or discipline.
In this post, we’re pulling back the curtain on what’s actually going on inside your body and brain during perimenopause. We’re talking about the surprising link between your gut and your mood, what your sleep problems are really trying to tell you, and why stress is so much sneakier than anyone gives it credit for.
Resources We Mention for Daily Habits for Perimenopause
Get Cynthia’s books: The Menopause Gut (Amazon/Bookshop.org) and Intermittent Fasting Transformation (Amazon/Bookshop.org).
Perimenopause May Be the Wisest and Best Years of Your Life – How to Make That Reality with Jenn Pike
Women Metabolize and Build Strength Differently Than Men (Especially Over 30) with Pearl & Serene, authors of Trim Healthy Wisdom
The best blue light glasses for better sleep
Stress Mastery Challenge for busy moms
Don't miss #LifeSkillsNow Season 5! Register 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 raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast
Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

I’m joined by Cynthia Thurlow, a nurse practitioner and expert in perimenopause and menopause, and this conversation truly feels like a mini masterclass in understanding your body. We talk through what is really going on with your hormones, how your gut plays a much bigger role than you might expect, and why so many of the symptoms we tend to brush off are actually connected.
In this episode, we cover:
What the gut microbiome is and why it affects nearly every system in your body
Why perimenopause can start earlier than you might expect, sometimes in your 30s
The first hormone to shift and how it impacts stress, sleep, and mood
How estrogen changes can lead to symptoms like weight gain, heavy periods, and gut issues
Why your menstrual cycle is a vital sign you should not ignore
The connection between hormones and brain fog, anxiety, and mood changes
Why perimenopause can feel chaotic and how to start understanding those changes
Resources We Mention for Hormone Changes in Perimenopause
Get Cynthia's books: The Menopause Gut (Amazon/Bookshop.org) and Intermittent Fasting Transformation (Amazon/Bookshop.org).
Perimenopause May Be the Wisest and Best Years of Your Life – How to Make That Reality with Jenn Pike
Hope for heavy periods: 5 root cause solutions that might surprise you
Stress Mastery Challenge for busy moms
Don't miss #LifeSkillsNow Season 5! Register 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 raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast
Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

Have you ever eaten chocolate or chips when you feel stressed?
Rewarded yourself for a job well done with a little sticky celebration?
Hid from sadness with a whole box of ice cream to yourself?
The term "emotional eating" might be new to you, but I'm sure you can see how it works. This interview with Tricia Nelson, author of Heal Your Hunger, is powerful in that we unlock the hidden truth behind why many of us can't lose weight --
It's not about the food.
It's not about self-discipline.
It's about feelings.
In this chat, we focus on the adults, on how to get through our own emotional eating, and although we touch upon how this impacts our parenting, it's not about kids' health today.
Super quick note that this isn't a kid-friendly interview, nothing huge, but you might not want to have this one on with kids in the background.
Resources We Mention to End Emotional Eating
Tricia’s book: Heal Your Hunger
Is sugar addiction real?
How we’ve broken our metabolism: tips for cutting out sugar
Tips for summer snacking
Master your stress: Intro to stress mastery, make stress your BFF, stress mastery for busy moms
Avoiding emotional eating in kids
Connect with Trish on her website
Take the quiz to find out if you are an emotional eater or food addict
Follow her on Facebook
Join the Secret Sauce to Emotional Eating Facebook group (It’s free! Anyone can join!)
Trish has generously offered you listeners a complimentary 30-minute session: Emotional Eating Breakthrough Session
 
Don't miss #LifeSkillsNow Season 5! Register now. 
Shop Truly Free household cleaners and more at https://raisinghealthyfamilies.com/trulyfree!
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!