It's a polarizing topic, but one that we should care about TODAY: the benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet for our kids.

You might think kids should just be kids, but what if the food they're eating is secretly causing hyperactivity, poor concentration, and long-term health risks?

This week, Ashley makes a compelling case for why a healthy, anti-inflammatory approach is crucial for our children's well-being and shares a practical roadmap for making it happen without food fights.

Healthy Kids, Happy Family: A Balanced Approach to Food:

The "Why" Behind Anti-Inflammatory Eating: Learn how common ingredients in processed snacks (like TBHQ and artificial colors) are linked to hyperactivity, hormone disruption, and other serious health issues, and how removing them can have a lasting positive impact.

Winning Over Your Kids: Get practical strategies for getting your children's buy-in on healthy food. This includes respecting their choices (yes, even school lunches!), offering appealing alternatives, and making healthy eating a fun and collaborative family activity.

Balance Over Perfection: Discover how to focus on your child's overall nutrition over a two-to-three-day period, not just one meal. By filling nutritional gaps with healthy options, you can reduce stress and ensure your kids are getting the fuel they need.

You don't have to choose between healthy kids and happy kids. With a little creativity and the right tools, you can have both!

More Support For You

✅ Get 50+ healthy, kid-approved snacks (that you can buy) with the FREE Healthy After School Snack Guide here.

✅ Cook anti-inflammatory meals for your whole family with this FREE 7-Day Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan.

If you have a love-hate relationship with snacks (especially after school snacks!), this episode is for you!

While snacks can be a good part of a healthy day, they're often a source of stress, power struggles, and guilt for moms. This week, we're diving into how to reclaim snack time and turn it into a source of fun, health, and ease for the whole family!

Ashley gets real about the damaging ingredients in many popular snack foods and shares a roadmap to navigate snack time with confidence.

Plus, she's giving you a secret weapon to make it all a breeze.

Your Guide to Healthy & Happy Snacking:

🍎 Involve Your Kids & Get Creative: Say goodbye to snack-time battles by including your kids in shopping and prep, and get tips for making even boring snacks look irresistible.

🍎 Look at the Big Picture: Ditch the pressure of every snack being perfect. Instead, examine the context of your kids nutrition over 2-3 days, ensure a healthy balance of everything they need.

🍎 Remove the "I Don't Have Time" Excuse: Learn simple strategies to pack healthy snacks ahead of time on the weekend, so you can easily grab a pre-packaged, healthy option (instead of an unhealthy impulse buy!) on even the busiest weekdays.

Snacks don't have to be a source of chaos! With a little planning and a lot of creativity, you can ensure your family is fueled by healthy, delicious food that supports their energy and long-term health.

More Support For You

✅ Simplify snack time with the FREE Healthy After School Snack guide, with 50+ healthy snacks you can buy!
✅ Need support with the other meals of the day? This healthy meal plan is designed for midlife moms, but is guaranteed to work for the whole family!

Get ready! We're celebrating a major milestone: the 50th episode of The Family Fork podcast!

To mark the occasion, Ashley gets vulnerable, sharing her personal journey—from healing after an abusive marriage to navigating cancer—to reveal the three most important lessons she's learned about health and life.

Whether you're just beginning or starting over for the tenth time, this episode is a powerful reminder that we all begin somewhere. Get ready to be inspired and equipped with the foundational tools to create the life you know you deserve.

Your Roadmap to a Healthier Life: 3 Foundational Lessons

📍 Food is Your Foundation: Food is the easiest, fastest place to start. Learn why an anti-inflammatory diet and understanding how food makes you feel is the most impactful way to improve your physical and mental health.

📍 Family is Your Co-Pilot: Any health strategy that doesn't work with your family is not sustainable. Discover how to prioritize your health while making it easy and appealing for your family to get on board.

📍 Mindset is Everything: Beyond being positive, learn to identify and rewire the quiet stories you tell yourself that sabotage your progress. Your self-talk is the ultimate key to achieving your goals and building a life of resilience and joy.

You have the strength to begin today, no matter what your past has held. These three lessons will help you get ahead faster!

More Support For You

✅ Take the survey for a chance to win a $250 Amazon gift card and help shape the future of this podcast! (Hurry! Survey closes 8/17/25)
✅ Download the 7-Day Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan that works for you AND your family!

You hear it all the time, "reduce inflammation", but do you know WHY it really matters? It's more than just bloating or puffy hands; it’s a silent force that can affect your brain, joints, and overall health.

This week on The Family Fork, Ashley gives you 5 compelling reasons why you need to start reducing inflammation TODAY:

Clearer Thinking: Learn how brain fog, forgetfulness, and dropping words can all be signs of inflammation in your brain.

Pain-Free Movement: Discover how reducing inflammation can ease sore joints, helping you stay active and mobile for years to come.

Easier Weight Loss: Find out why inflammation makes it so hard to lose weight, and how a week of anti-inflammatory eating can lead to surprising results on the scale.

Better Sleep & More Energy: Understand the connection between inflammation, cortisol, and sleep, and how a calmer body leads to more restful nights and energized days.

Prepares You for What Comes Next: Hear Ashley’s personal, powerful story of how her anti-inflammatory lifestyle helped her heal faster from breast cancer, emphasizing the importance of being prepared for future health challenges.

This episode is a powerful call to action for your long-term health. Don't wait—your future self will thank you!

✅ Take the survey for a chance to win a $250 Amazon gift card and help shape the future of this podcast!
✅ Download the 7-Day Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan to start feeling the benefits this week!

You hear that you're supposed to eat protein in perimenopause, but you're still confused.

Knowing how much, what kind, and when can be a puzzle

This week, Ashley is breaking down everything you need to know about harnessing the power of protein for more energy, less cravings, and sustainable weight loss (yes, even in midlife!)

Discover why protein is your secret weapon against the challenges of aging, from muscle loss to hormonal fluctuations. Plus, stick around to the end for a special gift to help you put it all into practice!

Midlife Protein is Non-Negotiable: Learn how adequate protein helps build lean muscle (counteracting perimenopause muscle loss!), balances hormones and blood sugar, keeps you fuller for longer, and even aids in faster post-workout recovery.

How Much & What Kind?: Get clear on your daily protein target, and discover the best anti-inflammatory protein sources (while learning to ditch inflammatory protein bars.)

Mastering Protein Timing & Convenience: Find out why aiming for 40 grams of protein by 10 AM can revolutionize your energy and cravings throughout the day. Plus, get practical tips for incorporating protein into all your meals and easy, on-the-go strategies (yes, even cooked chicken in your purse!)

Protein isn't just a trend; it's a foundational nutrient for thriving in midlife. By making smart choices and front-loading your protein, you'll feel stronger, more energized, and gain control over your cravings.

More Support For YOU

✅ Your printable protein toolkit, designed for midlife moms. Grab it here!
✅ The right protein, all day long. This easy plan gets you started today.

It feels like you're doing everything to lose weight in perimenopause, but are you sabotaging your efforts without realizing it?

This week, we're cutting through the noise and revealing five common traps that won't help you lose weight, and more importantly, what you can do differently to finally see results!

Ashley shares common pitfalls, from calorie restriction to hidden "quick fixes," and shines a light on why your current approach might be stalling your progress.

Get ready to shift your perspective and discover sustainable strategies that lead to lasting transformation!

Calories In, Calories Out? Discover why severely restricting calories and doing intense cardio can actually make you hold onto weight in perimenopause by increasing inflammation and cortisol. Learn to prioritize nutrient-dense foods, balanced macros, and strategic strength training instead.

Chasing Quick Fixes: Beware of "wolf in sheep's clothing" solutions like certain supplements, detoxes, or even weight loss injections. While some can be supportive, they're not magic bullets. True, sustainable weight loss comes from consistent nutrition and fitness efforts.

Failing to Meal Plan: Without a clear, easy-to-execute meal plan, you're more likely to rely on takeout, derailing your goals. Learn why meal planning (even if you hate cooking!) is crucial for consistency and healthy choices.

Your Fixed Mindset: If you've ever thought, "It's just my hormones, I can't do anything about it," or "I'm too old to lose weight.", this fixed mindset is a major roadblock. Uncover how to change your thoughts, to get lasting results.

Trying to Get "Skinny": While wanting to look good is okay, a sole focus on "being skinny" often isn't enough motivation for long-term habits. Hear how to shift your focus to overall health, vitality, and longevity!

It's time to stop the cycle of frustration! By avoiding these common traps and adopting a flexible, proactive mindset with smart nutrition and movement, you can lose weight and thrive in perimenopause.

More Support For YOU

✅ Healthy, family-meals made EASY (seriously, cooking just 3 nights/week!) Check it out in the Supper Club
✅ Need to go deeper, and really change up your mindset? Let's do it together in The Method.

Want to know how to lose 8 lbs in 10 weeks -- right in the middle of perimenopause?!

This week Ashley's pulling back the curtain to share how YOU can start making this kind of progress today.

We're going beyond the typical advice (that doesn't usually work) to uncover powerful shifts that are essential for perimenopause weight loss.

Get ready to ditch what hasn't worked and embrace a fresh, empowering approach!

WAY Less Cardio: Discover why high-intensity cardio might be working against you in perimenopause. Uncover what you can do instead to build muscle, reduce inflammation, and get toned without bulking up. You can do this right from home!

What To Eat: Learn why an anti-inflammatory diet is crucial for balancing hormones and supporting your gut in midlife. PLUS, understand the power of balancing your proteins, carbs, and fats (macros) to fuel your body properly, avoid unnecessary calorie restriction, and see real scale changes.

THIS Trick Changes Everything: Discover how thoughts and feelings determine your outcome. It's not just "woo", this is THE strategy behind lasting transformation.

It's time to stop feeling out of control! You have the power to make significant changes and lose weight, even in perimenopause. This episode offer a new path forward, combining practical strategies with a powerful mindset framework.

More Support For YOU

✅ Ready to get started without an ounce of overwhelm? Start here with the Perimenopause Weight Loss Guide for Moms! Complete with a private podcast to support you every step of the way.

Are perimenopause cravings leaving you drained and frustrated? Your solution is right here!

Ashley knows the struggle is real, whether it's that 3 PM slump or the post-dinner sweet tooth. She's sharing powerful nutrition and lifestyle shifts that not only reduce cravings but also leave you feeling lighter, happier, and more energetic.

How to Fuel Up: Discover why eating enough calories is crucial, and how incorporating ample protein, healthy fats, and balanced carbs (especially a savory breakfast!) can stabilize blood sugar and keep hunger at bay. Ashley even shares her favorite breakfast bowl ingredients!

Hydration is Key: Learn why dehydration kicks-up cravings for quick energy (like sugar!), plus a simple method to get you drinking enough water throughout your day.

Beyond the Plate: Lifestyle hacks like stress reduction, prioritizing quality sleep, and strategic movement, can significantly diminish cravings by calming your body's stress response.

Quick Fixes & Gut Health: Get Ashley's favorite instant craving crusher (it's in your bathroom!) and understand how an anti-inflammatory diet supports gut health, which is vital for reducing those intense, unexplainable urges for sugar.

Cravings don't have to control you! By implementing a handful of these simple, yet powerful strategies, you'll gain control over your appetite, boost your energy, and make healthier choices that support your midlife journey.

More Support For YOU

✅ Reduce cravings instantly by eating enough to begin with. Start here!
✅ Add more protein like this, to help crush cravings today
✅ Relieve stress in as little as 5 minutes with Breathwrk