Power of now

Why Retreats

What if healing is not only about medicine, but also about place, connection, nature, and feeling truly cared for? In this episode of Wellness in Every Season, Autumn Carter speaks with Barry Shimelfarb, founder of Carmel Retreats and steward of Cuddle Doon, about the power of retreats for healing, wellness, renewal, and relationship connection. Barry shares his deeply personal journey as a single dad raising twin boys when he was diagnosed with advanced cancer in 2019. Through multiple surgeries, radiation, physical exhaustion, and uncertainty, he found refuge at his historic Carmel cottage, where the ocean, gardens, redwoods, spiritual reflection, and community helped him move from surviving to thriving. Together, Autumn and Barry explore why retreats can be so powerful, especially during seasons of illness, grief, burnout, disconnection, or transition. They discuss the healing role of nature, meditation, prayer, visualization, creativity, social connection, romance, and intentional time away from the noise of daily life. Barry also shares how Carmel Retreats offers private boutique retreats for one to two people, along with local wellness partners for yoga, spiritual hikes, spa experiences, nature connection, and meaningful restoration. Through Postcards for Healing, guests can nominate someone navigating illness, trauma, or hardship for a gifted healing stay. Listeners can connect with Barry at www.carmelretreats.com, learn about Postcards for Healing at www.carmelretreats.com/postcards, and follow Carmel Retreats on Instagram @Carmel.Retreats and Facebook. For more wellness tips and exclusive content, join my newsletter! Sign up now at https://wellness-in-every-season.kit.com/5-days-to-mastering-mornings-and-evenings [https://wellness-in-every-season.kit.com/5-days-to-mastering-mornings-and-evenings] receive a free 5-day guide called "Awaken and Unwind: 5 Days to Mastering Life's Mornings and Evenings."

Plant-based Nutrition for Longevity

Can plant-based nutrition actually help you live longer, feel better, and reduce inflammation — without becoming fully vegan or vegetarian? In this episode of Wellness in Every Season, Autumn Carter sits down with Melanie Murphy Richter, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and recipient of the 2023 Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year award from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, to talk about the real science behind plant-based nutrition, gut health, inflammation, and longevity. Melanie shares her own personal healing journey from years of severe IBS and chronic inflammation to rebuilding her health through nutrition, mindful eating, and lifestyle changes. Together, Autumn and Melanie unpack the difference between processed carbohydrates and nourishing complex carbohydrates, why fiber and plant diversity matter for gut health, how stress and trauma impact digestion, and why food truly can become medicine when we learn to work with our bodies instead of against them. This conversation also explores emotional eating, mindful eating, postpartum nutrition, protein myths, longevity science, sleep, inflammation, and practical ways to begin making healthier food choices without overwhelm. Whether you are curious about plant-based eating, trying to heal your gut, improve your energy, reduce inflammation, or simply build a more sustainable relationship with food, this episode offers realistic and encouraging guidance grounded in both science and lived experience. Listeners can connect with Melanie at: * Melanie Murphy Richter Website [https://melaniemurphyrd.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * Instagram @healthnmellness [https://www.instagram.com/healthnmellness/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * TikTok @healthnmellness [https://www.tiktok.com/@healthnmellness?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * LinkedIn Profil [https://www.linkedin.com/in/melaniegmurphy/?utm_source=chatgpt.com]e For more wellness tips and exclusive content, join my newsletter! Sign up now at https://wellness-in-every-season.kit.com/5-days-to-mastering-mornings-and-evenings [https://wellness-in-every-season.kit.com/5-days-to-mastering-mornings-and-evenings] receive a free 5-day guide called "Awaken and Unwind: 5 Days to Mastering Life's Mornings and Evenings."

Power of now

What if the life you want is built less by giant transformations and more by the small choices you make right now? In this solo episode of Wellness in Every Season, Autumn Carter explores the power of the present moment and how tiny shifts in behavior can completely change the trajectory of your wellness, nervous system, habits, and future self. Using the Stages of Change model as a framework, Autumn breaks down why people often feel stuck in cycles of avoidance, procrastination, burnout, or self-sabotage—and why motivation alone is not enough to create lasting change. She dives into neuroplasticity, nervous system regulation, chronic stress, trauma responses, habit formation, emotional resilience, and the science behind why repeated behaviors become easier over time. This episode also explores the hidden physical cost of chronic stress, including inflammation, sleep disruption, immune dysfunction, emotional dysregulation, memory challenges, and burnout. Autumn encourages listeners to stop waiting for the “perfect time” to begin caring for themselves and instead focus on simple, sustainable shifts that build long-term wellness over time. Listeners are invited to reflect on the habits, routines, boundaries, and patterns they have been avoiding, while learning how small actions—like walking, hydrating, reducing screen time, improving sleep routines, practicing nervous system regulation, or spending time outside—can create powerful momentum toward healing and self-trust. This episode is a reminder that wellness is not built in dramatic overhauls. It is built in the quiet moments where you choose yourself again and again. For more wellness tips and exclusive content, join my newsletter! Sign up now at https://wellness-in-every-season.kit.com/5-days-to-mastering-mornings-and-evenings [https://wellness-in-every-season.kit.com/5-days-to-mastering-mornings-and-evenings] receive a free 5-day guide called "Awaken and Unwind: 5 Days to Mastering Life's Mornings and Evenings."

Healing Through Mindset

What if feeling stuck isn’t a failure… but a signal that something deeper is ready to heal? In this episode, Autumn sits down with Stacy Goldstein, an occupational therapist turned coach, to explore what it really means to heal through mindset—especially when you feel like you’ve tried everything and nothing is working. Together, they unpack the emotional, physical, and mental layers of being “stuck,” and why so many people—especially moms—find themselves overwhelmed, disconnected, and running on autopilot. Stacy shares her powerful journey through motherhood, a cancer diagnosis, and the breaking point that forced her to rethink everything she believed about success, identity, and healing. Through a blend of neuroscience, subconscious work, and faith, she explains how true transformation happens—not by pushing harder, but by rewiring the patterns running beneath the surface. This conversation dives into limiting beliefs, nervous system regulation, the subconscious mind, and the often-overlooked connection between science and spirituality. If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing all the “right” things but still not moving forward, this episode will help you understand why—and what to do next. To connect with Stacy, join her Renewed Mom Community on Facebook, listen to the Golden Spark Podcast on platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, or follow her on Instagram at @stacy_simplified for ongoing support and resources. For more wellness tips and exclusive content, join my newsletter! Sign up now at https://wellness-in-every-season.kit.com/5-days-to-mastering-mornings-and-evenings [https://wellness-in-every-season.kit.com/5-days-to-mastering-mornings-and-evenings] receive a free 5-day guide called "Awaken and Unwind: 5 Days to Mastering Life's Mornings and Evenings."

When Wellness Tracking Stops Feeling Healthy

What happens when wellness tracking starts making you feel less well? In this solo episode of Wellness in Every Season, Autumn Carter explores the question so many people quietly wrestle with: are our wellness metrics actually aligned with human wellness, or are they pushing us toward guilt, comparison, and exhaustion? After walking nearly five miles and still being told by her Apple Watch that it “wasn’t enough,” Autumn began questioning smart watches, movement goals, recovery scores, step counts, calories burned, sleep tracking, and the pressure to constantly optimize. She shares how default settings on Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin, Samsung, Oura, Whoop, smartphones, and other devices may not reflect real human needs, especially for people navigating stress, burnout, hormonal shifts, chronic illness, disability, neurodivergence, caregiving, postpartum recovery, or pain. This episode unpacks how wellness technology can be helpful when personalized, but harmful when it becomes another voice saying we are failing. Autumn explains how to think about movement goals, exercise minutes, stand reminders, steps, heart rate, HRV, sleep tracking, readiness scores, and notification settings in a more compassionate and sustainable way. Listeners are invited to use their devices as tools—not scoreboards—and to reconnect with the body’s wisdom beneath the numbers. Get the worksheet here: https://wellness-in-every-season.kit.com/ebfb2d7621 For more wellness tips and exclusive content, join my newsletter! Sign up now at https://wellness-in-every-season.kit.com/5-days-to-mastering-mornings-and-evenings [https://wellness-in-every-season.kit.com/5-days-to-mastering-mornings-and-evenings] receive a free 5-day guide called "Awaken and Unwind: 5 Days to Mastering Life's Mornings and Evenings."