Love You More Podcast

June 24, 2025

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Ep 64: Sobriety as a Sacred Practice with Liz McCandless

  Episode summary:

 In this episode, Jen is joined by her friend and family member Liz McCandless to share her journey to sobriety. After a pivotal moment of clarity, Liz recognized she was missing valuable time with her family and made the decision to seek help through rehab. She reflects on how sobriety has allowed her to slow down, establish boundaries, and reconnect with her true self. The conversation also explores the importance of feeling emotions fu...

June 10, 2025

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Ep 63: It All Falls on Me

Episode summary:

 In this episode, Jen talks about the strain that can come with summer and how she often feels like everything is on her. Through her work with a life coach, she’s been focusing on being more present—paying attention to how her body feels instead of getting stuck in her head. She’s noticing that the need to feel in control often creates its own kind of suffering. But when she lets go, even just a l...

May 27, 2025

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Ep 62: Urges

Episode summary:

 In this solo episode, Jen dives deep into the nature of urges—whether it's the craving for food, alcohol, or the impulse to escape an uncomfortable emotion. She reflects on how we often turn to these behaviors for comfort rather than allowing ourselves to truly feel what’s beneath the surface. Drawing from her professional experience, Jen shares how she once helped clients avoid certain foods, only to later realize that the urge itself holds valuable insight. She encourages listen...

May 13, 2025

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Ep 61: What if We Did Different with Sandy Weiss, PT, GCFP

  Episode summary:

In this episode, Jen is thrilled to welcome Sandy back to the podcast for the third time!  Jen shares how the work she’s done with Sandy has been nothing short of life-changing. They explore the idea of stepping away from rigidity and instead ask, what if things didn’t have to be so fixed? What if slowing down, tuning in, and sensing ourselves could open up a whole new way of bei...

April 29, 2025

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Ep 60: Menopause Strong with Brooke Kalisiak, PT, DPT

 Episode summary:

In this episode, Jen sits down with Brooke Kalisiak, a pelvic floor physical therapist and founder of Legacy Physical Therapy in St. Louis, to dive into all things menopause. Brooke shares her own self-care routines and offers an inside look at the approach to pelvic floor therapy at her practice. Together, Brooke and Jen have created Menopause Strong — a program designed to help women stay strong and resilient through the menopause transition. The program is...

April 15, 2025

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Ep 59: So, I Went on a Silent Retreat

Episode summary:

Last month Jen went on a silent retreat and we're lucky enough to have a front row seat to the debrief of her experience. The journey to a silent retreat started when her life coach, Helen, introduced her to the work of Amy Johnson—the woman who facilitated the retreat. Amy’s book Just a Thought, along with her other teachings, deeply resonated with Jen and helped her see herself in a way...

April 1, 2025

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Ep 58:  Creating Your Mindful Closet with Guest Dacy Gillespie

Episode summary:

In this episode, Jen is joined by personal stylist Dacy Gillespie, who shares her journey from burnout in the nonprofit world to building a career around her lifelong love of fashion. What started as a one-year break has turned into twelve years of helping other women through her business, Mindful Closet. Dacy opens up about how she defines self-care—setting up her life to avoid burnout. She walks listeners through her personal styling pro...

March 18, 2025

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Ep 57: Better

  Episode summary:

In this episode, Jen explores the idea of being "better" and how wellness culture often pressures us to constantly improve. You don’t have to strive to be better; you are already enough just as you are. Trying new things isn’t necessarily about improvement—it’s about exploration and growth in different directions.

Jen also challenges the notion of control, emphasizing that we can never truly predict where life will take us. She finds a deeper sense of peace...

March 4, 2025

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Ep 56: Special Episode from Rhett Smith's Podcast: Social Media and Slowing Down

Episode summary:

Today we have a special episode - we're bringing you an episode of Rhett Smith's Praxis podcast featuring Jen!

In this episode, Rhett and Jennifer dive deep into the concepts of wintering - slowing down and taking time to rest. Recently both Jen and Rhett have noticed a trend of moving away from social media and technology. They take this hour to explore what they've noticed, how t...

February 18, 2025

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Ep 55: Grounding Phrases with Life Coach Helen McLaughlin

Episode summary:

Jen's welcoming her life coach Helen back to the show today to talk about grounding phrases that you can use to support your feelings and move through them with a different perspective.

Helen has been working with Jen for over a year and in this episode they talk through some of the grounding phrases that have helped them work through life's harder moments. In these hard moments, our thoughts spiral...

February 4, 2025

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Ep 54: No Shame, Just Science: Talking Bodies, Blushing Optional

 Episode summary:

Today Jen is letting us into the more personal self care she's been working while navigating some minor, but impactful health issues. It's too common for people to avoid talking about things because they're embarrassing or they think they're the only one experiencing it, so today Jen is opening up in the hopes of connecting with listeners that may be having similar experiences. 

To honor American heart month, Jen talks through he...

December 16, 2024

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Ep 53: Celebrating 2 Years Sober with Special Guest PJ McDaniel (Jen’s Husband!)

Episode summary:

Jen is celebrating two years of sobriety today and is chatting with her most special guest yet - her husband PJ. From navigating a relationship where alcohol was once central to their social life to finding new rhythms, they reflect on the ups and downs of this change. PJ opens up about how her journey has impacted his own relationship with alcohol, leading to subtle shifts in his habits (like di...

December 10, 2024

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Ep 52: Lessons from Mark Spewak, a St. Louis Running Icon 

Episode summary:

In this episode, Jen is joined by Mark Spewak, a competitive runner, coach, and cornerstone of the St. Louis running community. Mark shares his journey from selling More Miles, More Smiles T-shirts to organizing charitable races that have become local institutions. Drawing inspiration from his mother’s charitable work, Mark’s latest project, the Market Mile, aims to support organizations actively revitalizing downtown St. Louis—combining fitness, fun, and meaningful impact.

Mark...

November 26, 2024
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Ep 51: Bittersweet Steps: Parenting a Teenager

Episode summary:
 
In this emotional episode, Jen opens up about navigating raising a teenager and watching her 13-year-old son grow up and start to pull away. Jen shares her raw feelings about the sudden changes in their once easy, close bond, reflecting on how quickly her son seems to be coming into his own. While she knows this independence is a healthy part of growing up, it’s left her grappling with this mix of pride and...

November 12, 2024
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Ep 50: A Conversation on Aging Gracefully

Episode summary:

In this episode, Jen explores her experience with aging and the challenges that come with navigating the flood of health advice online. She talks about how many women in her circle, like herself, are facing perimenopause and feeling overwhelmed by conflicting health information. Jen opens up about the struggle to find reliable guidance and shares her own journey toward aging gracefully.
 
From choosing positive "gracefully aging" role models to building a healthier relationship w...

October 29, 2024

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Ep 49:  Beyond the Silence: Real Talk on Women’s Health with Dr. Melanie McKean 

 Episode summary:

In this episode, Jen is joined by Dr. Melanie McKean, a reproductive psychiatrist specializing in women’s health, to talk about perimenopause—a topic that’s often shrouded in silence. As Jen opens up about her own experience with perimenopausal symptoms, like brain fog and forgetfulness, Dr. McKean dives into the neurological and hormonal shifts women undergo during this transition and shares actionable steps to help, from better sleep and e...

October 15, 2024

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Ep 48: Sleep and the Feldenkrais Method with Sandy Weiss, PT, GCFP

 Episode summary:

In this episode, Jen welcomes back one of her favorite people, her Feldenkrais teacher Sandy, to dive into the transformative power of self-care and sleep. They explore Sandy’s recent sleep camp and how it uses Feldenkrais methods to help participants achieve better sleep and greater body awareness. Jen shares her own experiences from sleep camp and offers tips on how to improve sleep quality at home, even if you can't att...

October 1, 2024
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Ep 47: Is Your Self Care Routine Serving You?

Episode summary:
After a recent talk centering on burnout and self care for a group of registered dietitians, Jen has found herself coming back to the idea of finding the self care practices that serve the individual. 

In this episode, Jen shares her most effective self care practices and the ways that she has adapted them to work for her. Not all of these will work for everyone, but they are tools to add t...

September 17, 2024 
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Ep 46: Exploring Sobriety with Alex Highsmith

Episode summary:

In this emotional and candid episode, Jennifer and special guest, Alex Highsmith, open up about their sober journeys. From drinking daily and living moment to moment to owning multiple businesses, Alex shares her highs, lows, and tips for staying sober. If you're sober or sober-curious, this episode is a must listen.

Check out the links below to visit the first non-alcoholic bottle shop in the US!

Favorite Quotes:

“[Sobriety] is a l...

September 3, 2024
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Ep 45: Getting Real About Infertility with Guest Dr. Maureen "Moe" Schulte

Episode summary:

In this episode, Jen talks with Dr. Maureen "Moe" Schulte about self-care strategies for people experiencing infertility. From taking blame out of the conversation to maintaining a healthy exercise program, Dr. Moe draws on her own experience to connect with her patients and guide them through the physical and emotional challenges of infertility.

This is an authentic and vulnerable look into the complexities and emotional effects of infertility that you want to...

August 20, 2024
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Ep 44: Supporting Your Energy

Episode summary:

In this episode, Jen shares her go-to strategies for keeping both her mental and physical energy levels up. She dives into the importance of nutrition, offering tips on building a day's worth of meals that keep your energy steady—from managing blood sugar to finding the right rhythm with meal timing. Jen also opens up about her alcohol-free lifestyle, explaining how it helps her maintain consistent habits and avoid the energy-draining effects of alcohol. Plus, she touches on the vital role of...

August 6, 2024
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Ep 43: Internal Family Systems Therapy with Karissa Mueller

Episode summary:

It seems like everyone is talking about Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy. On today's episode, Jennifer talks to IFS certified therapist, Karissa Mueller.  Karissa walks us through the ins and outs of IFS and even walks Jen through a live therapy session in the episode. You don't want to miss this one - it could actually change your life.

IFS is good for everyday life, not only when something is wrong. It can be a p...

July 23, 2024
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Ep 42: Reflections on 1 year 7 months Alcohol Free

Episode summary:

Jen's back for a third season and in this first episode she's reflecting on the past 1 year and 7 months that she's spent sober. From more even social energy to feeling more authentic to sleeping better to being more present with her family, Jen has noticed both expected and unexpected benefits from not drinking. But, it hasn't been without struggle and Jen opens up about how she navigates the bumps in the road. 

As always, J...

April 16, 2024
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Ep 41: Taking Control of Your Pelvic Floor - An Interview with Physical Therapist Jamie Kocher

Episode summary:

Dr. Jamie Kocher, a leading expert in women's health and fitness,  joins us today to get personal about everything from incontinence to how tight jeans can affect your health. With years of experience helping women work through pelvic floor dysfunction to return to sports and active lifestyles. 

Pelvic floor concerns can be extremely embarrassing and frustrating. So many people feel really alone with it and pelvic fl...

April 2, 2024
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Ep 40: Reframing Masculinity: Navigating Emotions and Self-Care with Dr. Bryan Pearlman

Episode summary:

In this episode, Jen's family therapist, Dr. Bryan Pearlman, joins the show as we delve into the topic of self-care for boys and men. From exploring the barriers that get in the way of emotional awareness to the stigma surrounding vulnerability and expressing feelings, this conversation goes deep. 

In his practice, Dr. Bryan focuses on the power of mindfulness and being present and living in the now. He works with m...

March 19, 2023
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Ep 39: Unpacking Anxiety with Rhett Smith

Episode summary:

Want to hear two emotionally in-tune professionals talk about all things anxiety? Tune into this conversation between Jen and Rhett. Rhett Smith is a marriage and family therapist, executive coach, speaker, and author with an expertise in the treatment of anxiety. And we already know that Jen is a dietitian with a passion for self care and personal growth.

From delving into the root cause of anxiety (a violation of trust) to their own personal...

March 4, 2023
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Ep 38: Restless in St. Louis

Episode summary:

Restless is a word that represents a lot of complicated feelings, but we all know what it feels like in our bodies. In this episode, Jen explores how she deals with restlessness; that feeling that you should clean the house or be productive or make time for volunteering at your kids' school. She reminds us that rest and stillness are also important. Take the challenge to slow down and take some time to just sit and be.

February 20, 2024
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Ep 37: The Weight of It

Episode summary:

In this candid, vulnerable episode, Jen opens up about her past struggles with disordered eating and control around food and exercise. This year has re-ignited some of these old thinking patterns and Jen shares openly about how she's still healing this part of her.

Favorite Quotes:

“Peeling back the artichoke leaves to get to the very juicy heart of peace, acceptance, love, and letting go of some control.”

Re...