Best Because Throwaway Podcasts (2026)

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184. The Best of Strong Is a Mindset: 2025 22:30

Play Pause

6d ago22:30

22:30

As another year comes to a close, it's easy to jump straight into planning what you'll do differently next time. But what about all the lessons you've already learned? What about the moments that shifted your thinking, the habits that actually stuck, and the mindset work that made a real difference in how you showed up for yourself? In this episode…

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183. Stop Overcomplicating the Holidays: How to Find Presence and Actual Joy 19:25

13d ago19:25

19:25

Are you hiding in the bathroom right now, taking a break from the holiday chaos? If you are, I get it. This time of year has a way of turning even the most organized person into an overwhelmed, overfunctioning machine. You're trying to keep all the traditions alive, cook the perfect meals, buy thoughtful gifts for everyone, manage everyone's emotio…

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182. Why You Give Up Before You Even Start (and How to Stop) 22:12

20d ago22:12

22:12

Have you ever given up on yourself before you even tried? That quiet moment where you think, "I already know how this is going to go"? Maybe it's about that workout you planned, the healthy lunch you packed, or the boundary you intended to set. The truth is, you're not failing in the moment. You're giving up before you even get there. I call this "…

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Crafting Just Reuse Policy 56:22

26d ago56:22

56:22

How do just transition principles apply to policymaking? Brian Loma of GreenLatinos Colorado and Upstream’s Sydney Harris get real about the policymaking process in a just transition to a reuse economy. They discuss everything from community stakeholder involvement; to capacity, budget, and messaging challenges; to modeling the values of reuse, and…

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181. Feeling Behind This December? How to Break the Holiday Stress Cycle 23:26

27d ago23:26

23:26

What if December overwhelm isn't about your lack of discipline, but about carrying too much? If you're feeling like time is speeding up while the pressure to do more keeps rising, you're not alone. In this episode, I'm addressing the reality of how heavy this season gets when you're taking your already busy life and adding all the holiday hoopla on…

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180. December Is Not a Throwaway Month: How to Stay on Track During the Holidays 21:06

1M ago21:06

21:06

The week after Thanksgiving can feel like a blur. You're still full from turkey and pie, your schedule feels off, and suddenly December is staring you in the face with its holiday parties, school concerts, and cookies everywhere you turn. This week, I'm addressing that familiar temptation to throw up your hands and decide to "just deal with it in J…

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179. When Your Old Self Shows Up at the Holidays: How to Stay Present 26:13

1M ago26:13

26:13

Do you ever walk into a family gathering feeling confident and capable, only to find yourself 30 minutes later scrubbing dishes to avoid conversation or saying yes to things you don't want to do? In this episode, I'm addressing something that affects every single one of us during the holidays but that we usually don't name - the version of you that…

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178. When Old Thoughts Come Back: You Don't Need to Erase Your Mind 22:10

2M ago22:10

22:10

So you've done all the mindset work: read the books, listened to the podcasts, practiced the tools… only to find yourself slipping back into old patterns. Maybe it's a critical voice that resurfaces during stress, or that familiar spiral of negative thinking that you thought you'd conquered. If this sounds like you, I have good news: you're not fai…

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177. What Fitness Teaches You About Life (and Yourself) 22:44

2M ago22:44

22:44

Have you ever noticed how we willingly sign up for a very specific type of pain, when in general, pain is the very thing we spend our lives trying to avoid? We crawl out of warm beds to lift heavy things. We run until our lungs burn. We push ourselves to the point of exhaustion. And we do it on purpose. This willingness to choose pain on purpose is…

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176. Breaking a Bad Habit: Why Strategy Isn't Enough (and What Actually Works) 30:38

2M ago30:38

30:38

What if that moment your brain starts screaming "This is too hard" when you're trying to change a habit isn't failure? What if it's actually the exact moment where real change happens? Most people walk away at this point, convinced they need a better plan or more willpower, but they're missing the crucial piece that makes habit change actually stic…

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175. Dopamine, Habits, and Real Motivation 23:59

2M ago23:59

23:59

You start a new workout program with all the excitement in the world. The spreadsheet is color-coded, your meal prep containers are lined up perfectly, and you've got that brand new notebook with matching pens ready to track every detail. For those first few weeks, you're unstoppable. Checking boxes, hitting targets, feeling like you've finally cra…

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174. The 3 Biggest Traps Keeping High Achievers Stuck (And How to Break Free) 27:44

3M ago27:44

27:44

Pushing harder isn't working. Despite your best efforts, you're still stuck in the same patterns: starting strong then quitting, living in extremes, or running yourself into the ground. If you've ever waited for the "perfect time" to start something, thrown in the towel after one slip-up, or pushed yourself to exhaustion because "that's just what i…

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173. How to Actually Believe You Can Change Your Habits 28:12

3M ago28:12

28:12

Most people carry around a mental scorecard of their failed attempts. Every diet that fell apart, every workout routine that fizzled out, every promise to stop snacking that ended with your hand in the chip bag - they all stack up as evidence that maybe you're just not cut out for lasting change. Your brain uses this track record like a crystal bal…

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172. 7 Words That Changed My Life 26:47

3M ago26:47

26:47

When life gets overwhelming, there's a natural human tendency to look around and wait for someone to fix it. But that waiting becomes a trap - a comfortable but suffocating space where you convince yourself that your circumstances will magically improve. And while you wait, the years slip by and nothing changes. Join me this week as I share seven w…

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171. More Isn't Always Better: How to Feel Like You're Enough 29:49

3M ago29:49

29:49

What if that constant feeling that you're not doing enough is actually the very thing that's breaking you down? Join me this week as I tackle the paradox of sufficiency and why your pursuit of "more" often backfires and leaves you with less. You'll learn how we've been conditioned to believe that our worth equals our output, creating a cycle where …

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170. Breaking the On-Again, Off-Again Cycle of Healthy Habits 31:24

3M ago31:24

31:24

The roller coaster of healthy habits is exhausting. You're either completely on track with your workouts, meal prep, and sleep schedule, or you're completely off: avoiding the scale, eating whatever's easiest, and telling yourself you'll deal with it later. Most high achievers experience this pendulum swing because our brains are wired to chase imm…

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Incentivizing Reuse Within Recycling Reform 46:06

4M ago46:06

46:06

Earlier this year, Washington became the seventh state in the US to pass an Extended Producer Responsibility Bill for packaging. The bill, SB 5284—The Recycling Reform Act—was supported by Upstream and civic and elected partners around Washington state, and includes something rarely featured in EPR bills: best practices for reuse. In this episode, …

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169. Why You Know Better But Don't Do Better 29:37

4M ago29:37

29:37

You've read the books, tracked the data, and analyzed your patterns. You can explain exactly why you eat when stressed, skip workouts, or stay up scrolling. Yet week after week, nothing changes. That gap between your sharp awareness and your stuck behavior has a name: insight paralysis. Tune in this week to learn why awareness alone keeps you stuck…

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168. Your 5 Most Common Health & Fitness Struggles 32:34

4M ago32:34

32:34

If you're wondering why you keep falling into the same patterns with your health and fitness goals, you're not alone. After coaching countless physicians, lawyers, executives, and entrepreneurs, the same handful of recurring struggles comes up over and over again. That's why, this week, I'm sharing the top five struggles my clients face when they c…

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167. Over-Scientizing Your Health & Fitness: Why More Data Doesn't Mean Better Results 25:05

4M ago25:05

25:05

Have you ever caught yourself thinking that if you just had the right fitness tracker, the perfect app, or the latest gadget, your health and fitness goals would finally click into place? I get it. Data feels safe. Numbers feel concrete. When everything about your body, health, fitness, and weight loss feels unpredictable, numbers might feel like a…

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166. When Healthy Eating Backfires 27:16

4M ago27:16

27:16

Have you ever found yourself obsessing over every single bite of food you eat? When you've imposed rigid rules around healthy eating, the very thing meant to make you feel better ends up making you miserable. The constant mental checklist and fear of messing up takes up way too much brain space, and that's why this week, I'm exploring why perfectio…

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165. When Looking Good Feels Bad 30:57

5M ago30:57

30:57

That old photo where you looked amazing might be lying to you. You know the one - where your arms looked defined, your waist looked tiny, and you got compliments everywhere you went. The photo that makes you think, "I want that body back," while forgetting that you were actually exhausted, hungry, and missing out on life just to maintain it. This d…

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164. Crab Cakes & People Pleasing: How One Dinner Changed Everything 21:53

5M ago21:53

21:53

This episode tells the powerful story of a client who transformed not just her body, but her entire approach to life after a single dinner changed her perspective. After years of yo-yo dieting and trying programs like Optavia, she came to coaching wanting something different. Listen in this week to hear exactly what happens when someone decides the…

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163. The Uncomfortable Truth About Your Priorities 22:48

5M ago22:48

22:48

The disconnect between wanting to exercise, eat better, or sleep more and actually doing it can feel incredibly frustrating. You know these things matter, you genuinely want them in your life, but somehow they keep getting pushed aside. Listen in this week to learn how to recognize the difference between "I don't have time" and "This isn't a priori…

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Local Reuse Initiatives 1:18:08

5M ago1:18:08

1:18:08

A conversation with Doug Calem and Dan Barash from the Central Ohio Reuse Coalition, Emily Alfred from Reusable Toronto, and Maddie Kaufman from Zero Waste Miami about the on-the-ground work they are doing in their different communities. From fundraising and business collaboration, to work with reuse at venues and businesses, to bridging the gap be…

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162. The Second Shift: How to Stop the Evening Spiral Before It Starts 27:52

5M ago27:52

27:52

That window between getting home from work and going to bed can feel like clocking into a second full-time job. The second shift - your role as mother, wife, pet parent, chauffeur, chef, and manager of all the things - is emotionally charged and exhausting. You're physically tired from your day, legitimately hungry from meals eaten hours ago, and e…

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161. Walking Through Discomfort: How to Stay Present When Things Feel Hard 27:28

6M ago27:28

27:28

Have you ever noticed how exhausting it is to fight against your emotions? Whether it's trying to resist a craving, suppress anxiety, or push through difficult feelings, the constant battle is draining. And here's the truth: fighting against discomfort actually makes things harder. But what if there was another way? This episode was inspired by a s…

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160. Self-Trust: Why Keeping Small Promises to Yourself Changes Everything 25:25

6M ago25:25

25:25

Have you ever noticed how easily we break promises to ourselves? Maybe it's the workout you swore you'd do this morning, the meal prep you planned for Sunday, or the evening routine you promised to stick to. Each time we break these promises, we're doing more damage than we realize. It's not just about the missed workout or the skipped meal prep – …

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159. Stop White-Knuckling: Choose Peace Over Willpower 22:54

6M ago22:54

22:54

White-knuckling through food cravings is what happens when you try to manage an urge by force alone, without any skill, strategy, or self-awareness to back it up. It's holding on with all your might and hoping the urge ends, treating every craving like a threat that must be shut down immediately. Join me this week to discover how to be in the prese…

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158. How to Return From Vacation Without Starting Over 25:46

6M ago25:46

25:46

The post-vacation spiral is real. The guilt about what you ate, the dread of your inbox, the feeling that you need to "make up" for enjoying yourself... it's exhausting, and it's not serving you. So before you reach for that juice cleanse or promise yourself double workouts for the next month, let's talk about what you really need right now. Join m…

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The Pathway to Reuse in Retail 58:27

6M ago58:27

58:27

Upstream’s Sydney Harris is joined by the US Plastics Pact’s Olivia Merritt Fitzgerald and Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s Olga Kachook to discuss the growing drive for reuse among consumer brands. They share the details of two recent reports that map a path for bringing reuse to the retail setting and which product lines are best poised for the …

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157. How to Eat to Build Muscle 38:26

7M ago38:26

38:26

The strength training world is buzzing with conflicting advice about protein timing, carb loading, and whether you need to eat in a surplus to see results. With influencers pushing everything from 1.4 grams of protein per pound to keto approaches for muscle building, it's no wonder so many women feel confused about what actually works. This week, I…

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156. When Stress Makes You Forget Everything You've Learned 26:51

7M ago26:51

26:51

Stress happens. Progress vanishes. Or at least it feels that way. This episode is about what happens when something in your life makes it feel like all the coaching, all the mindset work, all the new pathways you've laid just disappear. Join me this week as I remind you that the work isn't about never falling off track. It's about remembering how t…

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Reuse in Food Codes 54:24

7M ago54:24

54:24

A perennial hot topic in the world of reuse advocacy is reuse and refill in food codes. At a recent meeting of the Reuse Solutions Network (RSN), we tapped some folks with direct experience in the field to share insights about key updates to the federal food code, plus strategies to both update your own state's code—including collaboration, coaliti…

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155. 40 Days Sugar-Free: What We Learned as a Family 28:02

7M ago28:02

28:02

This week, I share the results of a 40-day family experiment where we eliminated all added sugar from our diet. Taking on this challenge with my husband and two sons revealed surprising insights about our eating habits and relationship with sugar that extended far beyond the initial 40-day period. If you're thinking about going sugar-free or trying…

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154. Your Thoughts Are Valid—Now What? 3 Steps to Shift Your Mindset 27:51

7M ago27:51

27:51

Many of us understand theoretically that our mindset impacts our results, but knowing how to actually change our thinking is a different challenge. Through my experience as a coach and my own personal development journey, I've discovered that meaningful mindset shifts happen when we have practical tools to guide us. Specifically, a tool I share wit…

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Catalyzing school reuse with dishwashing grants 37:06

7M ago37:06

37:06

Switching schools to reusable foodware reduces waste and helps teach the next generation that there’s a better way than throw-away — but our team’s research shows dishwasher funding as the #1 one hurdle to transitioning schools. In this episode, we learn how it can be done, with parents, principals, key partners, and in this case, a little policy-m…

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153. Competing Desires: The Mental Game of Food Decisions 30:30

7M ago30:30

30:30

How often do you experience two competing desires at once? Maybe you want to eat the cake, but you also want to reach your physique goals. Do you make either one of those desires wrong for existing? This internal tug-of-war between immediate pleasure and long-term progress is something I see consistently in my coaching practice. Having competing de…

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152. Prioritize Your Mental Health: A Conversation with Dr. Michelle Chestovich 51:31

8M ago51:31

51:31

Content warning: This episode includes discussion of suicide, which may be sensitive for some listeners. If you are experiencing difficult emotions, please know that help is available. Mental health is just as critical as physical health, yet we rarely give it the same attention. In my conversation with Dr. Michelle Chestovich this week, we dive in…

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Normalizing Reuse With Behavior Change Science 56:14

8M ago56:14

56:14

We have the information we need to make positive change—including implementing reuse systems. So how do we get people to act? Host Brooking Gatewood takes a deep dive into the psychology of normalizing reuse and influencing behavior change with experts Jennifer Carrigan and Katie Patrick. From emphasizing the importance of making reuse the default …

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151. Menopause & Fitness: Cutting Through the Confusion 38:49

8M ago38:49

38:49

Confused about how to maintain or build muscle during perimenopause and menopause? You're not alone. With so many conflicting messages from experts, social media influencers, and research articles, it's hard to know what approach actually works. In this episode, I dive into what's actually happening in your body during perimenopause and menopause, …

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A Grand Reuse Project 42:15

8M ago42:15

42:15

Last Fall, Upstream kicked off one of the most exciting reuse projects in the country right now, transforming concessions in the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to create the largest reuse system in the US and the first at a national park. Tune in to learn more from Upstream’s Jennifer Carrigan and Madhavi Trikha about this in-process model for open-…

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150. Self-Improvement That Actually Works: 10 Truths Every Woman Needs to Hear 32:56

8M ago32:56

32:56

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the constant flood of conflicting health and fitness advice? After 150 episodes of the podcast, I've noticed certain truths that consistently rise to the surface—truths that could transform your relationship with nutrition, fitness, and yourself. In this milestone episode, I'm stepping back to reflect on what I've …

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149. How I Make Fitness Feel Easy (Most Days) 34:11

8M ago34:11

34:11

Do you feel like you're constantly thinking about your fitness, food choices, and whether you're on track with your goals? I've been there, and I know how exhausting that mental load can be. Today, I pull back the curtain on the systems that have allowed me to maintain my physique without the constant mental gymnastics. Join me this week to learn b…

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148. Self-Compassion vs. Self-Sabotage: Are You Being Too Nice to Yourself? 30:19

9M ago30:19

30:19

Have you been hiding behind self-compassion as a way to avoid discomfort? Many of us use "being kind to myself" as an excuse to bail on our own goals and commitments. But this isn't true self-compassion—it's self-sabotage in disguise. If you're repeatedly not following through on your commitments under the guise of being gentle with yourself, and y…

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The Quest for a Universal Reuse Symbol 31:10

9M ago31:10

31:10

2025 will go down in history as the year the universal Reuse symbol was born. PR3’s Amy Larkin and design expert Cybelle Jones talk about the power of symbols and the current design initiative calling on creatives to develop a symbol that will help catalyze a cultural shift and normalize reuse around the world. Applications are due May 31 for this …

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147. You're Not Lazy, You're Burned Out 24:01

9M ago24:01

24:01

"Why can I manage a career, run a household, and keep everyone's life on track, but still struggle to take care of myself?" If you've ever asked yourself this question, you're not alone. As high achievers, we excel in so many areas of life—meeting deadlines, exceeding expectations, being the reliable one everyone counts on—yet when it comes to our …

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146. 'We'll See' is Not a Strategy: Take Ownership of Your Habits 24:24

9M ago24:24

24:24

When you say things like "Hopefully I can stick to my plan" or "We'll see what happens," you're subtly distancing yourself from responsibility and creating an escape route. This language keeps you in a passive position, waiting for life to happen to you rather than actively creating the life you want. I'm offering you something better than hope or …

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The Reuse Job Market 43:29

9M ago43:29

43:29

In this conversation, we dig into how reuse contributes to workforce development and economic opportunity - now and for future generations. Host Brooking Gatewood sits down with Matthew Luisier of r.World, a fast-growing reuse service provider, and Natasha Wayne with Reaching All Minds Academy, a charter school that has taken on the challenge of sw…

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145. Mindless Eating: Stop Justifying, Start Understanding 31:31

9M ago31:31

31:31

Have you ever found yourself mindlessly munching on chips or cookies, only to justify it with "I just wanted it?" Or maybe you've told yourself, "I deserve this" after a long day at work? These seemingly innocent thoughts might actually be keeping you stuck in patterns of mindless eating without you even realizing it. In this week's episode of Stro…