The Sonya Looney Show

What are the real exercise guidelines during pregnancy and post-partum exercise guidelines? How do you safely exercise through your pregnancy? With the varied advice from medical doctors and midwives, it's important to get up to speed with the current pregnancy exercise research.  Enter Catherine Cram, MS.  Catherine is an exercise physiologist and the owner of Comprehensive Fitness Consulting, a company that provides pre- and postnatal fitness certifications and information to hospitals, health and wellness organizations, and the military. Comprehensive Fitness Consulting offers the most current, evidence-based fitness information to pregnant and postpartum women and their healthcare providers. Catherine Cram is coauthor of Exercising Through Your Pregnancy with Dr. James Clapp.  She is the author of Fit Pregnancy for Dummies and a contributing author of Women’s Health Care in Physical Therapy: Principles and Practices for Rehabilitation Specialists. We talked about everything you want to know- how

Plant-based baking is on the rise and a fun fact you may not know- sourdough is actually plant-based!  It's also considered a fermented food. Enter today's guests- the owners of the first vegan bakery in the Sea to Sky Corridor in BC- Eds Bred. I'm always fascinated to learn about the different journeys people go on to work towards optimal health.  And I also love to hear what they do next. Once you start changing small daily actions, these new habits start to form a new identity and with that identity often comes a slight shift in purpose and what you believe you are capable of.  Today's guests are both intriguing and are passionate about sustainable business and plant-based baking.  Originally from the UK, Ed has been working in the restaurant business since the age of 13 and went to a culinary college to become a fine-dining chef.  Natasha is also from the UK and the two met in 2003 and soon after began traveling. After taking a snowboarding trip to Whistler, they both fell in love with

Dealing with Mom Guilt is real for many busy women.  This podcast is an audio re-creation of an article I wrote for Velonews via their Active Pass subscription service.  I got to interview some very successful cycling moms whom I admire like Rose Grant, Larissa Connors, Laura King, and Jennifer Smith.   Dealing with mom guilt and trying to balance cycling (or being an athlete), self-care, spending time with your baby, child, or children, working, and having relationships is hard.  Realizing that prioritizing self-care and happiness is the foundation of your pyramid and is what helps you show up as the best mom, human, partner, and employee.  Studies show that having an optimistic outlook on life increases both resilience and productivity. That said, I don't really believe in balance. I believe in intentional imbalance.  Balance doesn't exist but being intentional about how and where you focus your energy is useful and effective. Here's the audio of my article for Active Pass/Velonews.   Lis

Finding your strong isn't always easy, but if you're familiar with SWAP Coaches David and Megan Roche, you are probably familiar with their infectious optimism.  David and Megan are both coaches of their company, SWAP- Some Work, All Play that David founded in 2013.   The powerhouse couple coaches some of the top trail runners and obstacle course athletes in the world.  Their coaching speaks for itself with over 17 US National Championships won, athlete appearances on Team USA 14 Times, Spartan World Champions, and more.  "For us, it's all about finding your strong. We want athletes to really embrace the athletic strength-based nature of being an endurance athlete.  What that means in practice is that everyone's strong looks so different. So you can't go on looks, you can't even go necessarily on what you're seeing in the mirror because that is so distorted. And it's not analogous to anything with performance or growth or anything. What we really want is someone to

The ultimate resource for plant-based nutrition for children and teens is here! Brenda Davis is one of the top authorities and dietitians in plant-based nutrition.  She is the author of 11 books including the incredibly comprehensive book, Becoming Vegan and is the co-author of the new book, Nourish: The Definitive Plant-Based Nutrition Guide for Families along with Reshma Shah, MD.  Brenda is one of the world's leading plant-based dietitians and an expert in reducing the world's Type II Diabetes problems with Plant-Based Diets. She teaches lifestyle medicine courses all over the world, has been flown by the prince of Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia to consult on diet.  A highly sought after speaker for nutrition and medicine conferences, she has presented in 20+ countries on 5 continents. She has already been on the podcast twice which I'll link in the shownotes.  And now, her co-author Reshma Shah, MD joins us for today's episode. Reshma Shah, MD, MPH, is a board-certified pediatrician and

Hannah Grant has had a fascinating life.  From joining the navy in search of discipline to working at the #1 ranked restaurant in the world , and to being a professional chef for Tour de France Cycling teams and even the Dakar Rally- Hannah has some stories.  She also has an incredible reservoir for handling high-pressure environments and unshakeable self-belief.   While stirring a 200-gallon drum of goop in the middle of the Arctic Ocean while in the navy, she had an epiphany: I'm going to go to Chef School!  From serving big pots of goop to working in the #1 restaurant in the world was quite the shift.  And it doesn't stop there.  She's won a Daytime Emmy for her Amazon Prime series, Eat Race Win which is a documentary series about cooking for a professional team at the Tour De France... and her next endeavor? Partnering with Dr. Stacy Sims on a supplement for flights to help you stay hydrated and also supplements for sleep..I love Hannah because she is so real and so honest about her life an

This episode is about the tools to help you navigate uncertainty in your life, regardless of where you are on the political spectrum. These tools are helpful in any situation. 1. Control the controllables (and sometimes we think we are doing that by searching for even more information) 2. Self-care in the form of self-restoration 3. Mindfulness practice, sitting with discomfort 4. Looking for humanity 5. Practicing self-compassion--------------The Sonya Looney Show is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.” James Clear is an expert in behavior change.  He is the author of the New York Times Bestseller, Atomic Habits, and it's sold more than 1 million copies!  I first discovered James Clear many years ago when he started publishing articles on in his website and sending out a fantastic newsletter than now has over 650,000 subscribers.  The way he describes things like goal-setting, how to be productive, and how to make habits that stick is easy to understand and put into action. Many people attribute failing to break bad habits or failure to stick to new habits with a lack of willpower.  They think the problem is them. But James says  James Clear says, “If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t w

Sometimes it's hard to say what you mean. Oren Jay Sofer says, "Communication is a learnable skill and it’s one of the most powerful levers for making change in your life and the world." Non-violent communication is about taking responsibility for what we are experiencing using empathy, deep listening, know how to make requests. Author and renowned meditation instructor Oren Jay Sofer regularly teaches a mindful approach to non-violent communication. spent two and a half years of living as an Anagarika (renunciate) at branch monasteries in the Ajahn Chah Thai Forest lineage. Today, his teaching combines classical Buddhist training with the accessible language of secular mindfulness.  Since the early 2000s, Oren has had a deep interest in the relationship between contemplative practice and communication. A graduate of the BayNVC North American Leadership Training, he has taught classes and workshops in Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication (NVC) nationally since 2006. His innovative ret

Hannah Ross has researched and documented the revolutionary potential of the bicycle. Her book, Revolutions: How Women Changed the World on Two Wheels is a chronicle about the history of the bike how over the last 130 years, it has helped women change history.  From the evolution of the design of bikes to the importance of the bicycle in the women’s suffragette movement, to even the Black Lives Matter movement, the bike has been a cornerstone throughout our history. We didn't have time to get into the history of women's racing, but that is a topic beautifully covered in Hannah's book. Per Amazon: Revolutions also celebrates women setting records and demanding equality in competitive cycling, as well as cyclists in countries including Afghanistan, India, and Saudi Arabia who are inspiring women to take up space on the road, trails, and elsewhere. If you like bikes and you love history, this fascinating episode will give you some great nuggets to think about and so much more. "Their lives (w

Once per month, I'm checking in with you to talk about my journey as a new athlete mom. I'll talk about time management, how getting back to and maintaining a training schedule is going post-partum, the mental and emotional pieces too.  I'll tell you what it's really like and hopefully give you some nuggets you can apply to your own lives as well. This podcast is supported by Wahoo Fitness who has been a great partner during my journey as a pregnant athlete and new mom! My husband, Matt Ewonus has joined me on many of these Athlete Motherhood series because parenthood is really what it's about! In this episode, we talked about breastfeeding and the caloric need for athletes (super important!), mental toughness, how confidence relates to fitness, habits and how goals help us create meaning from daily actions, how Matt avoids hitting snooze, and growth comes from struggle.   "The whole concept of growth and progression and growth mindset for me came through cycling and endurance tr

Have you ever thought about sports psychology and how to communicate with your kids as a parent and/or youth coach?  First of all, most youth coaches are volunteers.  It's so great that many people generously spend their time developing children as athletes and in team environments.  However, as a listener of this show, you know I'm passionate about the impact of the words we use- the things we say to ourselves and to others. As a new mom, I'm really interested in learning how to communicate with kids!  Mental toughness doesn't only apply to adults and we begin a lot of our patterns as children in sport. Enter our guest, Jennifer Etnier, PhD.  She is the author of 2 books relating to sports psychology and how to interact with kids in sport, especially as a coach. They are titled Bring Your ‘A’ Game and Coaching for the Love of the Game Her helpful books offer constructs of the best ways to give praise, her opinion of discipline, how to keep girls playing sports longer, and helping children

Stu Massengill has infectious positive energy.  That makes sense because he is a National Trainer for Tony Robbins, podcast host of his show Finding Direction, and a speaker.  After building a massive business with his networking skills, Stu set off to travel the world, only to get diagnosed with testicular cancer at the age of 24.  His pursuit of personal development helped him stay positive and his ability to build connection eventually enabled him to meet Tony Robbins.  Now, he shares his actionable tools as a coach and helps others feel more fulfilled and passionate about life. Topics Discussed in the Podcast  His attitude toward getting testicular cancer at age 24 Stu's morning practice and the power of priming The power of Tony Robbins events Getting over fear in life How to build connection 3 decisions we make all the time Imposter syndrome and feeling enough Listen Now   Resources Stu Massengill's website Listen to the Finding Direction Podcast Support our awesome sponsors! The best or

If you pay attention to mobility for peak performance then you've probably heard of Kelly Starrett from The Ready State (formerly MobilityWOD). Kelly is a wealth of knowledge. He has spent over 10,000 hours as a movement and mobility coach for players in the NFL, MLB, NHL, and NBA, Olympic gold medalists, and other world-class athletes. He is also a Doctor of Physical Therapy. Kelly is also the author of several books including the NYT bestseller Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance and Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World.  He has been on more podcasts than I can count including Tim Ferriss and Joe Rogan, so if this is the first time you've heard of Kelly, I encourage you to go deeper!  Another fun fact is that he is 2x National Champion in whitewater rafting. "Mobility has 2 components... does my body have the raw biomechanics to have the ability to achieve the shapes native to human beings?  What is typic

Find your purpose! How many times have we heard someone utter those words.  The idea of purpose can be huge and intimidating. It's open-ended and it sometimes feels overwhelming because it sounds definitive.  Well, Misty Sansom has spent years dedicating herself to helping others find their purpose so that they can feel more fulfilled. In this episode, we talked about how you can find your purpose, and surprisingly- your purpose doesn't have to be your job.  Alternatively, Misty does help people turn their purpose into their job if that makes sense. Bottom line: you can uncover your purpose and you can do it alongside your job or sometimes you can turn it into your job. We talked about some of the landmines that can happen if you do start monetizing your hobbies. We also talked about some deeper subjects like being honest with yourself and overcoming the fear of saying what you actually want.  Developing your intuition is key to uncovering your purpose. Topics Discussed in the Podcast  why your pas

Once per month, I'm checking in with you to talk about my journey as a new athlete mom. I'll talk about time management, how getting back to and maintaining a training schedule is going post-partum, the mental and emotional pieces too.  I'll tell you what it's really like and hopefully give you some nuggets you can apply to your own lives as well. This podcast is supported by Wahoo Fitness who has been a great partner during my journey as a pregnant athlete and new mom! My husband, Matt Ewonus has joined me on many of these Athlete Motherhood series because parenthood is really what it's about! In this episode, we talked about how we view aging, how having a baby might affect how you feel about things like failing a workout, thinking big picture when it comes to the pace of achievement, and how the caloric needs from breastfeeding have been impacting my training. Topics Discussed in the Podcast  Celebrating aging thinking big picture when it comes to pace of achievement how having a

Doug Evans and sprouts have a few things in common.  They are both super healthy and both contain an incredible amount of potential energy.  Doug has used his energy for so many incredible life projects- from building incredible businesses in the health space to becoming an author about one of the most impactful nutritional powerhouses on the planet: the power of Sprouts.  Many of us are interested in harnessing the benefits of eating more plants and I have a secret for you- sprouts are about as nutritionally dense with nutrients as you can get.  They have about 20-30x the nutrients of other vegetables! One thing that is easily agreed on no matter what diet or lifestyle you enjoy, everyone loves the nutritional benefits of sprouts. They are also incredibly easy. If you listening to my episode with Stephen Ritz from the GreenBronxMachine, you heard about the incredible impact on marginalized communities from indoor gardening and involving kids. Sprouts are insanely simple to grow - they are cheap, very easy,

"You can train three things: your craft, your body, and your mind."  That's something you'll frequently hear from world-renowned high-performance psychologist, Dr. Michael Gervais.  I'm really excited about having him on the show because he is one of my personal heroes in the arena of mindset and psychology.  He frequently talks about the importance of self-discovery and our own inner lives, being aware of and training our inner narrative, and the power of vulnerability.  Over the course of 20 years working with world-leading performers, Dr. Gervais has developed a psychological framework that allows people to thrive in pressure-packed environments. His clientele consists of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, countless Olympic medalists, MVPs from every major sport, world record holders, internationally acclaimed music artists, and corporate leaders. He is the host of one of my favorite podcasts: Finding Mastery that explores the psychology of some of the world’s most extraordinary thinkers

Infectious positivity, inspirational curiousity, humor, and you Stephen Ritz is a South Bronx educator who believes that students should not have to leave their community to live, learn, and earn in a better one. An internationally acclaimed award-winning educator, Stephen is the author of the best-selling book, The Power Of A Plant, and founder of Green Bronx Machine. Known as “America’s Favorite Teacher,” Stephen is responsible for creating the first edible classroom in the world, which he has evolved into the National Health, Wellness and Learning Center. He and his students have grown more than 100,000 pounds of vegetables in the South Bronx, and in the process, Stephen has moved school attendance from 40% to 93% daily and helped provide 2,200 youth jobs in the Bronx. Stephen was a Top Ten Finalist for the Global Teacher Prize, named Global Humanitarian, Food Tank Hero, TEDx Prize Winner and a Global Food Educator, and has presented at the Obama White House three times. A replica of his classroom was inst

Once per month, I'm checking in with you to talk about my journey as a new athlete mom. I'll talk about time management, how getting back to and maintaining a training schedule is going post-partum, the mental and emotional pieces too.  I'll tell you what it's really like and hopefully give you some nuggets you can apply to your own lives as well. This podcast is supported by Wahoo Fitness who has been a great partner during my journey as a pregnant athlete and new mom! I wanted to bring my husband, Matt Ewonus in on this episode as I will on some of the future Athlete Motherhood series because Parenthood is really what it's about! In this episode, we talked about how to stay motivated when your race or event got canceled (or just how stay in it if your training has gotten stale). Topics Discussed in the Podcast  Staying motivated when your event has been canceled or you're just in a rut Live Strava Segments on the Wahoo ELEMNT Power Numbers and TrainerRoad workouts Using Stra