Goals, Grit, and Some Woo Woo Sh*t

Protein Bars, The Microbiome, Clean Beauty, And Other Lies We've Been Sold with Timothy Caulfield

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2071107/fan_mail/new] What if I told you that your protein bar, your “clean” skincare, your microbiome test, and half the wellness advice clogging your feed are built on marketing first and evidence second? Yeah. This episode got spicy. I sat down with Timothy Caulfield, bestselling author and expert on health misinformation, to talk about why science is simultaneously one of our best tools and one of the easiest things to manipulate. We got into everything from predatory scientific journals to why putting the word “protein” on a candy bar suddenly makes us think it’s health food. We talked about microbiome mania, gluten-free panic, hormone obsession, supplements, clean beauty, and why marketers love complicated science words that most of us don’t fully understand. Tim explains how “scienceploitation” works. Basically, researchers hype findings because academia rewards attention, media rewards sensationalism, and companies swoop in to sell us products wrapped in scientific language. The result? We’re all walking around terrified of toxins, buying personalized wellness plans, and wondering if we need a stem cell smoothie or a sleep tracker to survive adulthood. We also talked about why this stuff feels so personal. Once we build an identity around a health belief, questioning it can feel like a personal attack. And honestly? I saw myself in that conversation more than once. One of my favorite parts was Tim’s reminder that health is mostly boring. It’s movement, sleep, relationships, whole foods, not smoking, not drinking too much, and doing things you actually enjoy. No magic peptide. No expensive optimization stack. No wellness guru whispering secrets from a cold plunge. This conversation made me think a lot about fear, certainty, and how badly we all want a shortcut. And honestly, it reminded me that being informed is important, but being obsessed is exhausting. What’s Inside: * Why marketers love words like “microbiome,” “toxins,” and “clean” * How science hype and predatory journals confuse the public * The truth about gluten-free diets, protein products, and personalized wellness * Why real health is usually simple, unsexy, and not sold in a supplement aisle If this episode taught me anything, it’s that critical thinking is a form of self-care. You do not need to optimize every molecule in your body to be healthy. So, tell me, what wellness trend have you totally fallen for at some point? DM me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/oonaghduncan]…I’d love to know! Mentioned in This Episode: The Certainty Illusion by Timothy Caulfield [https://www.amazon.ca/Certainty-Illusion-What-Dont-Matters/dp/0735245886] Tim Caulfield on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/caulfieldtim/]Oonagh Duncan on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/oonaghduncan]Fit Feels Good [https://www.fitfeelsgood.com]Leave me a voice note on Speak Pipe! [https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/398129/1/kopg67izwb87wor6]

The Truth About the Loneliness Epidemic (It’s Not What You Think) with Sarah Stein Lubrano

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2071107/fan_mail/new] We hear a lot about the “loneliness epidemic,” but what if the real problem isn’t that we feel lonelier? What if it’s that we’re spending more and more of our lives alone… and slowly forgetting how to connect in the first place? This conversation with political theorist and writer Sarah Stein Lubrano absolutely blew my mind. We got into the neuroscience of what happens when we spend too much time isolated, including how our brains literally start pruning away the social skills we’re not using. Which honestly explains why texting someone back can suddenly feel like preparing for battle. Sarah shares why social interaction is a little bit like exercise. Most of us don’t feel like doing it beforehand, but we almost always feel better afterward. We talk about the surprising research on talking to strangers, why introverts probably still need more connection than they think, and how our increasingly individualistic lives might be affecting everything from happiness to democracy itself. We also got into the hidden risk that keeps people isolated. It’s not laziness. It’s fear. Fear of awkwardness, rejection, inconvenience, vulnerability, or just feeling weird for knocking on someone’s door. The less we practice connection, the riskier connection starts to feel. And honestly, this episode changed me a little. Since recording it, I joined a French conversation group, a women’s finance group, and started going to karaoke at the Legion here on Salt Spring. And guess what? Every single time I leave my cozy little house and force myself into the world, something good happens. Turns out humans might actually need other humans after all. What’s Inside: * Why we’re spending more time alone without necessarily feeling lonelier * How social isolation changes the brain and weakens social skills over time * The surprising science behind talking to strangers and why it boosts happiness * Why rebuilding community matters for our health, relationships, and even democracy This episode made me realize that connection isn’t something that magically happens. It’s something we practice, maintain, and sometimes awkwardly fight for. DM me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/oonaghduncan] and tell me: what’s one small social risk you want to start taking again?  Mentioned in This Episode: Sarah Stein Lubrano [https://www.sarahsteinlubrano.com/] Sarah Stein Lubrano on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sarahsteinlubrano/] Oonagh Duncan on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/oonaghduncan] Fit Feels Good [https://www.fitfeelsgood.com] Leave me a voice note on Speak Pipe! [https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/398129/1/kopg67izwb87wor6]

Positive The F*ck Up

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2071107/fan_mail/new] Okay, hear me out before you accuse me of trying to turn into your grandmother’s motivational fridge magnet. This episode is not about pretending everything is amazing while your life is on fire. I’m not asking you to slap on a fake smile, repeat “I am a wealth magnet” seventeen times, and spiritually bypass your way through reality. In fact, I talk about why that kind of toxic positivity can actually make you feel worse. But dude… I also think a lot of us have swung way too far in the other direction. We are marinating in negativity right now. Doom scrolling. Catastrophizing. Convincing ourselves that menopause is an apocalypse, the world is collapsing, and one missed workout means we’re physically declining in real time. And honestly? I think we need to positive the f*ck up a little. In this episode, I unpack the difference between old-school affirmation culture and evidence-based mindset work like CBT. We talk about why all-or-nothing thinking keeps people stuck in fitness, weight loss, and life in general. I share stories from clients who think they’re either “being good” or completely blowing it, and why that mindset backfires every single time. I also go on a bit of a rant about menopause marketing because apparently women in their 30s are now being called “peri-preppers,” which honestly makes me want to launch myself into the sea. Mostly, this episode is about choosing a more balanced reality. Not fake positivity. Not denial. Just refusing to feed your brain a constant diet of helplessness and doom. Because yes, hard things exist. Negative emotions are part of being human. But so are hope, progress, resilience, strength, joy, and possibility. And if the quality of your life is the quality of the emotions you feel most often… then maybe it’s worth asking yourself what emotional climate you’re living in every day. What’s Inside: * Why toxic positivity and toxic negativity are both traps * The difference between affirmations and evidence-based mindset shifts * How all-or-nothing thinking sabotages fitness and weight loss * My honest thoughts on menopause marketing and identity-based thinking Look, I’m not saying you need to fake positivity or pretend life isn’t hard. I’m saying your brain is constantly collecting evidence for whatever story you feed it most often. And a lot of us are feeding ourselves a nonstop stream of doom, decline, and helplessness. You can acknowledge hard things without making them your entire identity. So here’s my question for you:Where in your life do you need to positive the f*ck up a little? Let me know on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/oonaghduncan].  Mentioned in This Episode: Lolalomusic [https://www.instagram.com/lomalomusic/] Althea Crimmins [https://www.instagram.com/aletheacrimmins/reels/] Oonagh Duncan on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/oonaghduncan]Fit Feels Good [https://www.fitfeelsgood.com]Leave me a voice note on Speak Pipe! [https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/398129/1/kopg67izwb87wor6]

How To Protect Your Brain in Midlife with Barbie Boules

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2071107/fan_mail/new] Okay, this episode genuinely changed how I think about my health. Because somewhere along the way, women got taught that if we stayed thin enough, worked hard enough, and maybe survived on coffee and cortisol, we’d somehow be “healthy.” Meanwhile, our brains were over there quietly begging for vegetables and sleep. Today I’m talking with cognition dietitian Barbie Boules, and this conversation blew my mind in the best possible way. We dig into the real connection between midlife, metabolic health, hormones, sleep, stress, and cognitive decline. We talk about why women are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, what’s actually happening during perimenopause brain fog, and how to tell the difference between normal forgetfulness and something more serious. And before you spiral because you forgot why you walked into a room, Barbie explains why that’s probably not dementia. It might just be that you’re exhausted, overstimulated, under-slept, stressed out, and trying to keep twelve tabs open in your brain at all times. Relatable. We also talk about the internet’s favorite pastime: terrifying women into thinking their brains are “eating themselves” during menopause. Barbie clears up what the science actually says, what’s overhyped, and why the basics still matter more than all the trendy supplements and panic-inducing wellness content. One of my favorite parts of this conversation was Barbie’s take on health becoming less about shrinking ourselves and more about protecting the thing that literally runs our entire lives: our brains. It was hopeful, practical, empowering, and honestly kind of a relief. Also, she gave some of the best weight loss advice I’ve heard in years. No shame. No unrealistic timelines. No punishment. Just sustainable, sane behavior change. And yes, we also talk about the one food category that research shows can make your brain function like it’s ELEVEN YEARS younger. Turns out your grandmother was onto something with the leafy greens. What’s Inside: * Why women are more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s and what researchers are learning about hormones and brain health * The difference between normal midlife brain fog and signs of cognitive decline * The lifestyle habits that most strongly protect your brain, including sleep, exercise, stress management, and nutrition * Why Barbie says focusing on brain health can improve your entire body composition and long-term health This episode reminded me that health is so much bigger than how we look. Your brain is your personality, your memories, your creativity, your relationships, your ability to experience joy. And for so many of us in midlife, this is the first time we’re realizing that maybe the goal isn’t just to be smaller or “good” anymore. Maybe the goal is to stay sharp, strong, energized, connected, and fully alive for as long as possible. And honestly? I found that incredibly motivating. So I’d love to know: what’s one small thing you could start doing now to support your future brain health? DM me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/oonaghduncan]. I genuinely want to hear it.  Mentioned in This Episode: Barbie Boules [https://www.barbieboules.com/]Barbie Boules on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/the_cognition_dietitian/]Oonagh Duncan on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/oonaghduncan]Fit Feels Good [https://www.fitfeelsgood.com]Leave me a voice note on Speak Pipe! [https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/398129/1/kopg67izwb87wor6]

Addicted to Anxiety? with Owen O'Kane

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2071107/fan_mail/new] What if your anxiety isn’t just something happening to you… but something you’ve gotten really, really good at? That’s the uncomfortable and surprisingly empowering idea I explore in this conversation with therapist and author Owen O’Kane. His book Addicted to Anxiety stopped me in my tracks, and this episode takes that conversation even deeper. We dig into why anxiety isn’t something to eliminate, but something to understand and work with. Owen shares how, after decades in clinical practice, he started noticing a pattern: people don’t just experience anxiety, they form a relationship with it. And sometimes, that relationship looks a lot like dependence. Anxiety promises safety. It keeps us alert. It makes us feel like we’re in control. So of course letting it go feels terrifying. We talk about why trying to “fix” or eliminate anxiety often backfires, and how learning to relate to it differently can completely shift your experience. Instead of treating anxiety like an enemy, Owen invites us to see it as a scared part of ourselves that needs guidance, not rejection. We also get into perfectionism, overthinking, and why so many of us confuse vigilance with responsibility. And one of my favorite moments was when Owen shared how he still feels anxiety before speaking on stage… and how he works with it instead of fighting it. This conversation is honest, human, and deeply reassuring. Because the goal isn’t to become someone who never feels anxious. It’s to become someone who knows what to do when you do. What’s Inside: * Why anxiety can feel “addictive” and hard to let go of * The difference between working with anxiety vs trying to eliminate it * How intolerance of uncertainty fuels anxious thinking * Why perfectionism and overthinking are often rooted in anxiety Here’s what I keep coming back to after this conversation: anxiety isn’t the problem. Our relationship with it is. When we treat anxiety like an enemy, we fight ourselves. But when we learn to recognize it as a scared part trying to protect us, something softens. We get to respond instead of react. So here’s your question: What if your anxiety isn’t something to get rid of… but something to get curious about? DM me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/oonaghduncan]. I’d love to hear what this conversation brought up for you. Mentioned in This Episode: Owen O’Kane [https://www.owenokane.com/]Owen O’Kane on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/owenokaneten/]Addicted to Anxiety Book [https://a.co/d/05aGojaw]Oonagh Duncan on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/oonaghduncan]Fit Feels Good [https://www.fitfeelsgood.com]Leave me a voice note on Speak Pipe! [https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/398129/1/kopg67izwb87wor6]