The Daily Ascent

Latest Episodes:

65. Gut Health 101 with Dr. Will Bulsiewicz (Part 1 of 2) May 25, 2022

Show notes

Today's episode features the Gut Health G.O.A.T., himself, Dr. Will Bulsiewicz. Molly chats with Dr. B about all things gut health and how it affects not only our bodies, but our mental wellbeing as well. As the episode begins, Molly and Dr. B discuss his turning point that made him pursue his well-established career in gastroenterology as a clinical practitioner rather than researcher.

This propelled Dr. B to where he is today wearing his poop emoji hats and making the topic of gut health accessible by "making fiber sexy." The show progresses as Molly asks Dr. B to provide a clear explanation of what gut health is and what it affects. As this first half of the interview with Dr. B draws to a close, we not only discover that the gut, and the microbe biome found within it, affects our digestion, immunity, metabolism, and hormones– but it can even affect those of us that suffer from depression and anxiety.

Tune in!

Episode Quotes

"We can't just inherently and implicitly trust. We have to discriminate in the sense that we have to decide who we are willing to put our faith and our trust into– and then make that commitment." –Dr. Will Bulsiewicz
"There's nothing healthier than you being in a loving relationship with food even if you have to be…ten pounds heavy." –Molly Carmel

Key Highlights

Fiber intake and gut health are worth talking about, it is part of life– so do not shy away from the topic.
Negative change in our lives often happens when we aren't paying attention, and it is a slow and gradual process.
What we think we have to give up in life to achieve something else can hold us back from making big decisions.
Bad moments, unfortunate events, or just low points in our lives can often bring us wisdom and better understanding and circumstances.
Talk about nutrition is often confusing due to the conflicting views of different professionals; however, we can't trust implicitly
Gut health is vital to normal everyday functions of life such as digestion, immunity, metabolism, hormonal regulation, cognition etc.
Gut health and fiber intake can specifically aid with our emotions/mood.

About Dr. Will Bulsiewicz

Dr. Will Bulsiewicz is a gastroenterologist, internationally recognized gut health expert and the New York Times-bestselling author of the book Fiber Fueled. He lives in Charleston, South Carolina with his wife and two children. You'll find him on Instagram as @theguthealthmd, on Facebook as @theguthealthmd, and at his website theplantfedgut.com.

Dr. B recently published an incredible new book that may just become the new Bible of Fiber-Rich, Gut Healthy Cookbooks. It's called The Fiber Fueled Cookbook: Inspiring Plant-Based Recipes to Turbocharge Your Health - I can't recommend it highly enough!

About Molly Carmel

Molly is a leading addiction and eating disorder therapist and the founder of the Beacon Program, which offers individual and group solutions to help people break free from their destructive relationships with food and dieting. She is also the author of 'Breaking up with Sugar' and the host of 'What You're Craving' Podcast.

Connect with Dr. Will Bulsiewicz

Instagram: @theguthealthmd

Facebook: @theguthealthmd

Website: https://theplantfedgut.com/

Connect with Molly

Want to spend MORE time together? Me too! Here are all the ways: Purchase the Breaking Up with Sugar course here: https://molly-carmel.mykajabi.com/buws-course Join me at Coaching with Molly: https://mollycarmel.com/coaching-with-molly/ Come to the Divorcing Dieting workshop: https://mollycarmel.com/intensati/#schedule Join my mailing list for a free mini masterclass: https://mollycarmel.com/signup/ Become a part of the Breaking Up with Sugar FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/buwsbook Molly's IG (I love a DM!): @mollycarmel Molly's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG1GiXHci_XlL4xMXL6-Ajg?view_as=subscriber Molly's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mollycarmel.buws

64. Powering Through Food Addiction By Going All In May 18, 2022

Show notes

Today's episode is all about the food, but not about the food as Molly and Susan dive into Susan's journey and relationship with food. Even as young as four years old, Susan, like many of us, remembers and reflects on defining moments she had with food that dictated her relationship with food, particularly sugar, in adulthood. As the two discuss, Molly and Susan note that when we are faced with food traumas and restrictions, it becomes easier for us to rationalize unhealthy food choices.

Molly and Susan continue the inspirational dialogue by defining Susan's rock bottom moment– COVID. As many of us were faced with challenges when the pandemic first started, Susan reflected that there was nowhere to hide her food habits. This led to what Susan deems a "divine intervention" moment where everything she knew about food was a behavior– meaning it could be changed.

Having played her part in the pervasive diet culture, Susan was wary of another diet cycle. By going "all in," Susan made intentional changes with her behavior and relationship with food using the principles found in Breaking Up With Sugar.

Tune in!

Episode Quotes

"You never know which attempt is going to work– it's why you never give up." –Molly Carmel

"After we put down the food, or we find a healthy relationship with food, it's really about learning how to untangle those stories and create new ones." –Molly Carmel

Key Highlights

Reflecting on habits we developed when we were younger reveals our escapes and coping mechanisms;
The power of rationalization to get what we want;
Diet culture is pervasive;
We are not alone in thinking that there can be no middle ground between a diet and food we enjoy;
The toxicity of comparative suffering;
The power of going "all in" and intentionality in our choices;
We are good enough to be gentle and soft to heal ourselves rather than punitive;
When your "why" is powerful enough to combat rationalization

About Molly Carmel

Connect with Molly

Want to spend MORE time together? Me too! Here are all the ways:

Instagram: @mollycarmel

Facebook: Molly Carmel

YouTube: Molly Carmel

Free Mini Masterclass: mollycarmel.com/signupBreaking Up with Sugar Course: molly-carmel.mykajabi.com/buws-course

Breaking Up with Sugar Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/buwsbookMonthly Group Coaching: mollycarmel.com/coaching-with-mollyWeekly IntenSati Spiritual Fitness Class: mollycarmel.com/intensati

63. The Key Elements Necessary for Healing Your Relationship with Food, From the OG of the Food Addiction Movement with Dr. Marty Lerner May 11, 2022

Show notes

Today's episode calls for a pencil and notepad as Molly and Dr. Marty Lerner dig deep into the psychological relationship we have with food and how it affects us. Dr. Lerner, being a pioneer in the field of food addiction, starts off by talking about his foundations in research of eating disorders and food addiction and then his transition to the treatment of the individuals suffering from these diseases.

Molly and Dr. Lerner give us some key takeaways that Dr. Lerner has gleaned from his food addiction research. First, the two discuss a three-stage process of what tends to happen when individuals begin avoiding food triggers: at first, doing it to be "good," then it simply becomes easier, finally it becomes more comfortable and a preference. This leads to the conversation of SMERF– an acronym that Dr. Lerner notes should not just be for those that suffer from food addiction, but for anyone in general that simply wants to live a better lifestyle.

Tune in!

Episode Quotes

"The whole gist of breaking up with sugar or finding what your biological triggers are and avoiding them is clearing the pathway so that you can start to make radical changes in your relationship with life." –Dr. Marty Lerner

"Recovery isn't about feeling good all the time. It's about doing good, not feeling good." –Dr. Marty Lerner

Key Highlights

The importance of differentiating between eating disorders and food addiction;
When we avoid our biological food triggers, it can lead to a lasting change that will become easier and a preference;
Hard work is the only way any form of recovery can take root in our lives;
As a society, we often overthink and underdo;
Using SMERF to improve any lifestyle: Spirituality, Meditation, Exercise, Rest, and Food Plan;
Your ego is not your amigo– when relapse or a slip happens, our ego or shame often get in the way and we are afraid to ask for help;

About Marty Lerner, PhD

Dr. Marty Lerner is the Executive Director of the Milestones in Recovery Eating Disorders Program located in Cooper City, FL. A graduate of Nova Southeastern University, Dr. Lerner is a licensed and board certified clinical psychologist who has appeared on numerous national television and radio programs that include The NPR Report, 20/20, Discovery Health and ABC's Nightline, as well as having authored several articles related to eating disorders in professional publications, national magazines and newspapers including USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Miami Herald, Orlando and Hollywood Sun-Sentinels.

Connect with Marty Lerner, PhD

His free eBook is available at: https://www.milestonesprogram.org/

About Molly Carmel

Connect with Molly

Want to spend MORE time together? Me too! Here are all the ways:

Instagram: @mollycarmel

Facebook: Molly Carmel

YouTube: Molly Carmel

Free Mini Masterclass: mollycarmel.com/signupBreaking Up with Sugar Course: molly-carmel.mykajabi.com/buws-course

62. The Bravest Thing We Can Say is "Help" May 04, 2022

Show notes

Today's episode is a heart to heart as Molly and Debbie dive into their discussion of the innate human need for connection and how it can be blocked by the armor we encase ourselves in. The healing, open discussion that Debbie presents to us challenges our need to feel that we are in control over our decisions.

There are times where we all so desperately need help, but what happens when we are afraid that the help we might receive isn't what we actually need or want? For many, like Debbie, this may bring on feelings of rage and shame– feelings, like Molly suggests, that may just be secondary emotions shielding us from rejection, loss of control, grief or sadness.

Tune in!

Episode Quotes

"People are just doing their best all the time … They're not doing this to me– they're just doing this." –Molly Carmel

"When we can be forgiving of others, we can be forgiving of ourselves." –Molly Carmel

Key Highlights

Our connection with food can keep us from living the life we were intended to live;
When we armor ourselves, it can keep others from hearing us when we ask for help;
We may desperately want help, but don't want to ask for it because we think others will help in a way we don't want them to;
When we loosen our expectations of others, it can make forgiving others easier;
Shame is a function of protection;
Openness, the ability to be open and vulnerable with others, can be healing

About Molly Carmel

Connect with Molly

Want to spend MORE time together? Me too! Here are all the ways:

Instagram: @mollycarmel

Facebook: Molly Carmel

YouTube: Molly Carmel

Free Mini Masterclass: mollycarmel.com/signupBreaking Up with Sugar Course: molly-carmel.mykajabi.com/buws-course

61. Showing Up Authentically, Codependency Wounds, and Gaslighting Behaviors with Dr. Brad Reedy Apr 27, 2022

Show notes

Today's episode is all about understanding how the deepest experiences we had in our childhoods can manifest in our adult lives. Molly welcomes Dr. Brad Reedy and he explains that the "attachment wounds" that we have today really are the result of some traumas we may have had in the past when we were forming our identity and having first connections. These wounds may have been developed due to some kind of abandonment and/or negligence.

Dr. Brad also discusses the importance of expressing ourselves, showing up as who we are in all situations, and respecting our time to heal old traumas. You will also learn the concepts of gaslighting (a psychological term to refer to subtle manipulation) and narcissism (a characteristic of someone who has a wound of not being seen or recognized). Tune in!

Episode Quotes

"Once you're allowed to be who you are, you have access to all the energy, all the magic, all the love." – Dr. Brad Reedy

"If your children need you to be perfect, they're doomed. That's a fact. They just need you to be human and being human means making mistakes, apologizing, and working on it again." – Dr. Brad Reedy

Key Highlights

Dr. Brad talks about the importance of showing up authentically in life, expressing ourselves and knowing that people around will be ok with it;
What's an attachment wound, how it affects us as adults, and how we can start to heal it in order to be better people;
Often times when we were kids (and sometimes as adults) we were thought to sacrifice our inner peace to be accepted by parents/others;
Dr. Brad explains how therapists, mentors, and coaches need to be a good fit because they're also humans and sometimes also need to work on themselves;
The concept of gaslighting and how people can subtlety manipulate us into doubting ourselves;
How to honor and respect our own time to properly heal the wounds from our traumas.

Gaslight (1944)

About Dr. Brad Reedy

Dr. Brad Reedy is a co-owner and Clinical Director of Evoke Therapy Programs, an experientially-based therapy program for adolescents, young-adults and families. He is also the Founder of Enlightening Relationships and provides parent coaching, couples therapy, and individual therapy. He has served on the Board of the Utah Department of Child and Family Services, the Board of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, and the En Garde Arts Board, a New York based Theatre Company. Dr. Brad is a prolific public speaker and has been invited to deliver keynote addresses at conferences, private events, nationally syndicated radio shows, and universities on experiential therapy, mental health issues treatment, childhood issues, and parenting. After years as a parent educator, having broadcast over 1,400 webinars on parent and family issues, he authored The Journey of the Heroic Parent: Your Child's Struggle and the Road Home and The Audacity to be You: Learning to Love Your Horrible, Rotten Self. He also hosts the podcast, Finding You: An Evoke Therapy Podcast. You can follow his Instagram account @drbradreedy - it's amazing.

Connect with Dr. Brad Reedy

Instagram: @drbradreedy

About Molly Carmel

Connect with Molly

Want to spend MORE time together? Me too! Here are all the ways:

Instagram: @mollycarmel

Facebook: Molly Carmel

YouTube: Molly Carmel

Free Mini Masterclass: mollycarmel.com/signupBreaking Up with Sugar Course: molly-carmel.mykajabi.com/buws-course

60. Self-Love is a Series of Small Victories Apr 20, 2022

Show notes

Taking a leap of faith and deciding to make a change, are not easy things to accomplish. For those of us who really struggled with chronic diets, eating disorders, and body image issues, it's like we're stuck in a vicious cycle that prevents us from doing things differently. That's why it's so important to know that self-love journeys are not linear, and failing is just part of the process.

In this episode of What You're Craving Podcast, Molly welcomes Brenna. Brenna shares her most vulnerable times when she thought that her own vicious cycle could just not end and that was when she suffered the most. Brenna highlights the importance of being kind to ourselves during hard moments, feeling ok with starting over as many times as needed, and trusting our potential to really break up with who we no longer want to be. Tune in!

Episode Quote

"I think that you have to release yourself from that physiologically addiction. And for those of us who are in that process, that binging… suspend the belief, take the leap, and I promise you: in 6 months you'll be looking in the mirror, doing some kind of self-care being like 'I love you'." – Brenna

Key Highlights

Brenna explains that having body image issues can really shape who we are for life, ironically as we try to become someone else;
Brenna shares the moments when she no longer wanted to struggle and decided to change for good;
It's important to recognize the moments when we are using food to ensure we can control situations & feel safe;
Childhood repeated patterns and traumas can manifest during adulthood;
Brenna highlights that you can start over as many times as you want because there are no rules, but remember to be kind with yourself during the whole process;
Brenna shares her strategy to maintain a healthy relationship with food on a weekly basis;
Brenna shares her final advice on accepting you want to change and really taking the leap to a brighter future.

About Molly Carmel

Connect with Molly

Want to spend MORE time together? Me too! Here are all the ways:

Instagram: @mollycarmel

Facebook: Molly Carmel

YouTube: Molly Carmel

Free Mini Masterclass: mollycarmel.com/signupBreaking Up with Sugar Course: molly-carmel.mykajabi.com/buws-course

59. Talking Therapy, Experiencing Therapy, and Healing Self-Hate with Adrienne Glasser Apr 13, 2022

Show notes

The way we talk to ourselves and the relationship we have with our thoughts are an important part of healing trauma, stopping self-hating, and accepting our image. Sometimes, the thought patterns and the unregulated self-talk are so deep rooted in our minds that we don't even realize when they appear and, therefore, we cannot stop them from reoccurring. Can you recognize the moments when you punish yourself?

In this episode of What You're Craving, Molly welcomes Adrienne Glasser to discuss addiction, trauma, and the importance of therapy experiences – and not only therapy talks. Adrienne talks about compassionate self-talk, being aware of the sensations in our body when we feel self-hate, and how to begin to treat addictions and self-image issues with just awareness. Tune in to listen to the whole episode.

Episode Quote

"Everything that's happening is either a form of protection or is coming from wounding. It's not anything that anyone is doing on purpose and it's just a reflection of where you've been and not who you are." – Adrienne Glasser

Key Highlights

Adrienne explains how she began working as a therapist and how in her childhood she herself dealt with a lot of addiction and trauma but was also surrounded by a lot of therapy talk;
It's important to know that protective systems (how we keep wanting to be safe and protected no matter what) truly have their foundation in traumas;
Adrienne explains that the well-known moments of self-hate and self-doubt need to be noted to be stopped. It's also helpful to notice what physical sensations they cause in the body;
Adrienne and Molly briefly discuss the diet culture and how it is the source of many rejection patterns we keep reproducing;
How to find your authentic Self and reconnect with it in order to live a better and more peaceful life.

About Adrienne Glasser

Adrienne Glasser is a meditation spiritual teacher, psychotherapist, certified IFS practitioner, and a somatic movement therapist. Her primary role is teaching clients and clinicians to reconnect with their most authentic Self and live their best lives.

Connect with Adrienne Glasser

Instagram: @adrienne.glasser

Website: adrienneglasser.com

Help for Addictions: https://breathelifehealingcenters.com

About Molly Carmel

Connect with Molly

Want to spend MORE time together? Me too! Here are all the ways:

Instagram: @mollycarmel

Facebook: Molly Carmel

YouTube: Molly Carmel

Free Mini Masterclass: mollycarmel.com/signupBreaking Up with Sugar Course: molly-carmel.mykajabi.com/buws-course

58. Skillful Ways to Say No to Food Pushers Apr 06, 2022

Show notes

Reframing our attitude towards food pushers can be very challenging. After so many years of behaving a certain way and having automatic positive answers when we are offered food, it will be hard to change. However, it's important to understand that it won't always be this hard. Like any other skill, saying "no, thanks" gets easier every time you do it. At the end of the day, your actions add up.

In this episode of What You're Craving Podcast, Molly shares great ways to simply say "no" to food pushers. Molly explains that we need to be effective, express what we need and, if necessary, even rehearse what we're going to say and what choices we're going to make at events or parties, for example. People offering food impolitely says more about them than about you. The key is to make your needs a priority.

Episode Quote

"When we're making big changes in our life, sometimes we have to lose some people." – Molly Carmel

Key Highlights

We have to learn how to deal with food pushers, but it's important to take into account that it will happen little by little and imperfectly;
Molly gives you some ideas and more skillful ways to say no to food, but at the same time being polite and appreciative;
Molly explains that in these situations it's important to say what we need, say what we don't need, and make our goals a priority;
If it's a stress-induced situation for you, know that it's completely normal and preparing and rehearsing to social events, for example, can help.

About Molly Carmel

Connect with Molly

Want to spend MORE time together? Me too! Here are all the ways:

Instagram: @mollycarmel

Facebook: Molly Carmel

YouTube: Molly Carmel

Free Mini Masterclass: mollycarmel.com/signupBreaking Up with Sugar Course: molly-carmel.mykajabi.com/buws-course

For more information, please contact us at info@operationpodcast.com.

Follow Operation Podcast on Instagram @operationpodcast

57. How to Manage Glucose to Stop Cravings, Maximize Health, and Live Longer with Jessie Inchauspé (Glucose Goddess) Mar 30, 2022

Show notes

In this episode of What You're Craving, Molly welcomes Jessie Inchauspé (a.k.a. Glucose Goddess) to talk all things monitoring glucose, how to control glucose spikes, the consequences of high glucose levels in our body, and how to manage it all without giving up the foods we like. High glucose affects our mental health as well as our physical health, and Jessie talks all about it in this conversation.

In addition, she shares the easiest and most uncomplicated hacks to manage your glucose levels when ingesting a variety of foods. Consuming a high-protein/high-fat breakfast and combining a protein source with a carbohydrate source, for example, are two of these hacks. Jessie also talks about the best options for snacks, juices, smoothies, and how to implement these habits into our daily lives. Tune in!

Episode Quote

"Every time we eat, if we're eating starches or sugars, they break down into glucose as we digest them, and glucose is great, it's our bodies' primary energy source and every cell in our body needs it for energy. Things start getting tricky when you experience a glucose spike, which is too much delivery of glucose, too quickly in your body." – Jessie Inchauspé

Key Highlights

CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor): what is it, how does it work, and Jessie's experience with this kind of monitoring data;
How glucose spikes affects mental health besides being an important cause of skin problems;
Lack of sleep is one of the most important aspects of our routines that influence glucose levels;
Hacks to keep our glucose levels steady (10 principles);
Jessie shares the best options for snacks, fruits, juices, smoothies and how to combine types of foods not to spike glucose levels;
What kind of health issues we may have when glucose levels are high and how to implement some of the hacks into daily life.

About Jessie Inchauspé

Jessie Inchauspé is on a mission to translate cutting-edge science into easy advice to help people improve their physical and mental health. She's the founder of the wildly popular Instagram account @GlucoseGoddess, where she teaches hundreds of thousands of people about healthy food habits. In her first book, Glucose Revolution, Jessie shares her startling discovery about the essential role of blood sugar in every aspect of our lives, from cravings to fertility, and the surprising hacks to optimize it while still eating the foods we love.

Connect with Jessie Inchauspé

Instagram: @GlucoseGoddess

Book: Glucose Revolution by Jessie Inchauspé

About Molly Carmel

Connect with Molly

Want to spend MORE time together? Me too! Here are all the ways:

Instagram: @mollycarmel

Facebook: Molly Carmel

YouTube: Molly Carmel

Free Mini Masterclass: mollycarmel.com/signupBreaking Up with Sugar Course: molly-carmel.mykajabi.com/buws-course

56. On Leaving Your Old Identity Behind Mar 23, 2022

Show notes

Sometimes we struggle to leave our old self behind in order to become a new version of ourselves, but it's important to understand that this is a process. What we cannot think, however, is that these struggles are part of our identity. We decide who we want to be. Negative affirmations that we keep telling ourselves, and limiting beliefs are a huge blockage to actually change: these stories are just an instinct, not the truth.

In today's episode of What You're Craving Podcast, Molly welcomes Elisa. Elisa is a member of The Breaking up with Sugar Facebook Group and is in the process of changing – like Elisa we're all a work in progress. Molly shares with her and with the listeners how thoughts can trick us into thinking that we're not safe, that we're not worthy, or that we need to fall into old habits just to feel secure. Tune in!

Episode Quote

"One of the ways to stop hating yourself so much is to stop doing self-hating things to yourself." – Molly Carmel

Key Highlights

Often times thoughts can play against us, trick us, and make us think we need to keep repeating old habits just to feel like ourselves again;
If we want to change just a little bit, if there is a small percentage of willingness, that is a win already;
Sometimes we think that struggling is part of our identity, it's who we are, but it doesn't need to be the case because at the end of the day it's a choice;
When we feel like giving up, it's fundamental to find ways to make ourselves feel safe (having support from other people and having a community);
Negative affirmations and beliefs are just an instinct, not the truth.

About Molly Carmel

Connect with Molly

Want to spend MORE time together? Me too! Here are all the ways:

Instagram: @mollycarmel

Facebook: Molly Carmel

YouTube: Molly Carmel

Free Mini Masterclass: mollycarmel.com/signupBreaking Up with Sugar Course: molly-carmel.mykajabi.com/buws-course

This is an Operation Podcast production.

For more information, please contact us at info@operationpodcast.com.

Follow Operation Podcast on Instagram @operationpodcast