Creating Meaning Beyond Food with Ali Shapiro

Sisters In Sobriety

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-31:05

Creating Meaning Beyond Food with Ali Shapiro

Sisters In Sobriety

Jan 06, 2025

Transcript

In this episode of Sisters in Sobriety, Kathleen and Sonia are joined by Ali Shapiro, a renowned health coach, speaker, and creator of the Truce with Food program. Together, they explore the profound question: How can we create meaning beyond food? Through her insights, Ali shares how food rituals can support connection and emotional nourishment without becoming the main event.

Ever wonder how food habits reflect our emotional states or how blood sugar balance impacts mental clarity? Kathleen, Sonia, and Ali dive into key questions like, "How does vulnerability play a role in our eating habits?" and "What are the best ways to reframe goals for a healthier relationship with food?" Ali also unpacks the impact of societal pressures, diet culture, and the journey to self-awareness in making sustainable choices for both body and mind.

Listeners will learn actionable strategies, such as Ali’s innovative breakfast experiment and tips for balancing blood sugar for improved mood and energy. This episode will also explore the importance of self-authorship in navigating food and life choices and why perfectionism can hinder rather than help your goals.

On a personal note, Ali shares a moving story about vulnerability and connection, revealing how being honest about life's challenges can strengthen relationships and dissolve the loneliness that often drives unhealthy habits.

This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our Substack for extra tips, tricks, and resources.

Time-Stamped Highlights:

[00:00:00] Introduction to Ali Shapiro and her Truce with Food philosophy

[00:01:30] Rituals that foster connection and balance beyond food

[00:02:57] Identifying emotional clues through eating habits

[00:03:40] Vulnerability as a tool for deeper connections

[00:05:23] Avoiding high-stakes vulnerability traps and practicing discernment

[00:06:49] The pendulum of diet culture and anti-diet culture

[00:07:36] The importance of self-authorship in food choices

[00:09:27] Personal anecdotes about balanced blood sugar and body quirks

[00:11:03] Recognizing diet trends that don’t serve individual needs

[00:12:27] New Year’s resolutions: reframing success metrics

[00:13:41] Kathleen’s life-changing experience with increased protein

[00:15:19] Understanding the nervous system’s role in diet needs

[00:17:23] The transformative power of individualized nutrition

[00:18:45] Stories of healing from common nutrition myths

[00:20:30] How perfectionism affects sustainable eating habits

[00:23:00] The adaptive process of setting meaningful goals

[00:24:29] Truce with Food: a six-month journey to food freedom

[00:27:06] Exploring blood sugar and gut health experiments

[00:29:19] The balance between structure and flexibility in food choices

[00:30:00] Closing reflections on personal growth and resilience

Links

Get In Touch With Ali:

Sisters In Sobriety Substack - find more tips, tricks, resources, and community
Sisters In Sobriety Email
Sisters In Sobriety Instagram
Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast

Discussion about this podcast

Sisters In Sobriety

In this podcast, Sonia and Kathleen invite you into their world, as they navigate the ups and downs of sobriety, explore stories of personal growth and share their journey of wellness and recovery.

Get ready for some real, honest conversations about sobriety, addiction, and everything in between. Episodes will cover topics such as: reaching emotional sobriety, how to make the decision to get sober, adopting a more mindful lifestyle, socializing without alcohol, and much more.

Whether you’re sober-curious, seeking inspiration and self-care through sobriety, or embracing the alcohol-free lifestyle already… Tune in for a weekly dose of vulnerability, mutual support and much needed comic relief. Together, let’s celebrate the transformative power of sisterhood in substance recovery!

Kathleen Killen is a registered psychotherapist (qualifying) and certified coach based in Ontario, Canada. Her practice is centered on relational therapy and she specializes in couples and working with individuals who are navigating their personal relationships.

Having been through many life transitions herself, Kathleen has made it her mission to help others find the support and communication they need in their closest relationships. To find out more about Kathleen’s work, check out her website.

Sonia Kahlon is a recovery coach and former addict. She grappled with high-functioning alcohol use disorder throughout her life, before getting sober in 2016. Sonia is now the founder of EverBlume, a digital tool that offers a unique approach to alcohol recovery support.

Over the last five years, she has appeared on successful sobriety platforms, such as the Story Exchange, the Sobriety Diaries podcast and the Sober Curator, to tell her story of empowerment and addiction recovery, discuss health and midlife sobriety, and share how she is thriving without alcohol.

Her online platform EverBlume launched in February 2023, and was featured in Recovery Today Magazine and deemed an ‘essential sobriety resource’ by the FemTech Insider.

The company champions self-improvement and mindful sobriety, with support groups designed by and for women struggling with alcohol.

So how can EverBlume help you meet your sober community? By offering deeply personalized support. Members get matched based on their profiles and life experiences, and take part in small group sessions (max. 16 people). In your support group, you will meet like-minded women, discuss your experiences, and gain confidence, knowing you can rely on your peers in times of need.

Whether you identify as a binge drinker, someone who developed a habit during the Covid-19 pandemic, a high-functioning alcoholic, or an anxious person using alcohol to self-soothe… There is a support group for you!

Current EverBlume members have praised the company’s unique approach to alcohol detox. “No one is judging me for not being sure I want to be sober for the rest of my life” ; “I felt so heard and understood and today I woke up feeling empowered to make the change in my life”.

Feeling inspired? Learn more about the EverBlume sobriety community at joineverblume.com, or simply listen to Sisters In Sobriety.

Your sobriety success story starts today, with Kathleen and Sonia. Just press play!

You know that sinking feeling when you wake up with a hangover and think: “I’m never doing this again”? We’ve all been there. But what happens when you follow through? Sonia Kahlon and Kathleen Killen can tell you, because they did it! They went from sisters-in-law, to Sisters in Sobriety. In this podcast, Sonia and Kathleen invite you into their world, as they navigate the ups and downs of sobriety, explore stories of personal growth and share their journey of wellness and recovery. Get ready for some real, honest conversations about sobriety, addiction, and everything in between. Episodes will cover topics such as: reaching emotional sobriety, how to make the decision to get sober, adopting a more mindful lifestyle, socializing without alcohol, and much more. Whether you’re sober-curious, seeking inspiration and self-care through sobriety, or embracing the alcohol-free lifestyle already… Tune in for a weekly dose of vulnerability, mutual support and much needed comic relief. Together, let’s celebrate the transformative power of sisterhood in substance recovery! Kathleen Killen is a registered psychotherapist (qualifying) and certified coach based in Ontario, Canada. Her practice is centered on relational therapy and she specializes in couples and working with individuals who are navigating their personal relationships. Having been through many life transitions herself, Kathleen has made it her mission to help others find the support and communication they need in their closest relationships. To find out more about Kathleen’s work, check out her website. Sonia Kahlon is a recovery coach and former addict. She grappled with high-functioning alcohol use disorder throughout her life, before getting sober in 2016. Sonia is now the founder of EverBlume, a digital tool that offers a unique approach to alcohol recovery support. Over the last five years, she has appeared on successful sobriety platforms, such as the Story Exchange, the Sobriety Diaries podcast and the Sober Curator, to tell her story of empowerment and addiction recovery, discuss health and midlife sobriety, and share how she is thriving without alcohol. Her online platform EverBlume launched in February 2023, and was featured in Recovery Today Magazine and deemed an ‘essential sobriety resource’ by the FemTech Insider. The company champions self-improvement and mindful sobriety, with support groups designed by and for women struggling with alcohol. So how can EverBlume help you meet your sober community? By offering deeply personalized support. Members get matched based on their profiles and life experiences, and take part in small group sessions (max. 16 people). In your support group, you will meet like-minded women, discuss your experiences, and gain confidence, knowing you can rely on your peers in times of need. Whether you identify as a binge drinker, someone who developed a habit during the Covid-19 pandemic, a high-functioning alcoholic, or an anxious person using alcohol to self-soothe… There is a support group for you! Current EverBlume members have praised the company’s unique approach to alcohol detox. “No one is judging me for not being sure I want to be sober for the rest of my life” ; “I felt so heard and understood and today I woke up feeling empowered to make the change in my life”. Feeling inspired? Learn more about the EverBlume sobriety community at joineverblume.com, or simply listen to Sisters In Sobriety. Your sobriety success story starts today, with Kathleen and Sonia. Just press play!

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