Joy With Food

Deena Barselah

Deena Barselah, Holistic and Integrative Health Coach, is redefining family food so you can find more joy, confidence, and peace when it comes to everyday mealtime. A few times per week, Deena will guide you with kitchen tips, new or old ideas to challenge, nutritional wisdom to embrace, methods to meal plan that actually work, fun and inviting ways to involve your kid/s, simple ways to decode food behaviors, and ideas for making mealtime sacred, special, and joyful. This podcast is the inspiring, warm, and understanding friend we all wish we had right beside us in the kitchen.

  1. 3d ago

    19. Food Rules: Which Ones Are Worth Keeping?

    In this episode of Joy With Food, we're talking about food rules: the ones we consciously choose, the ones we absorb without realizing it, and the ones we may want to question. In this episode, you'll hear: Why food rules aren't inherently bad and can actually create clarity, boundaries, and ease Where so many of our food rules and shoulds come from Why nutrition and wellness trends can so easily become rules we carry for years The problem with taking food advice out of context How your family's rules and norms help shape your family food culture The questions I come back to when deciding whether a food rule is actually worth keeping Rules I've totally let go of recently If you've ever found yourself thinking, "But shouldn't I be doing this?" around food, this episode will help you step back from all the outside noise and get curious about whether the rules you're following actually fit your life. We don't need to get rid of food rules.  We need to be thoughtful about where they come from, whether they support us, and whether they're helping us create the relationship with food we want for the long game.    Additional Resources for Support: 💌 Sign up for The Joyful Food Digest Weekly Emails 👉 https://deenabarselah.myflodesk.com/digest 🍽️ Learn more about Joyful Family Meal 👉 https://deenabarselah.com/mealtime 🤍 Learn more about Private Coaching 👉 https://calendly.com/deenabarselah/coaching-consult

  2. Jul 21

    18: What's Changed in Our Kitchen (and Why)

    In this episode of Joy With Food, I'm sharing some of the ways our family's rhythms around food have changed over the past several months and, more importantly, why. In this episode, you'll hear: Why families' ways around food can and should change over time The food rhythms I've loosened my grip on and the values we've held onto How my approach to grocery shopping and meal planning shifted The small change that made our food feel more enjoyable and nourishing A simple question you can return to whenever food starts feeling disconnected If you've ever felt torn between sticking to your routines and honoring what your life actually needs right now, this episode offers a refreshing way to think about change around food. Our relationship with food isn't meant to stay the same forever. As we grow, and as our families and priorities change, our rhythms can change too. That's not something to resist. It's often a sign that we're paying attention.     Additional Resources for Support: 🍽️ Learn more about Joyful Family Meal 👉 https://deenabarselah.com/mealtime 🤍 Learn more about Private Coaching 👉 https://calendly.com/deenabarselah/coaching-consult

  3. Jun 22

    17: Talking Food with My 11-Year-Old

    My 11-year-old son, Zeke, joins me for a conversation about being in the kitchen, cooking shows, mystery basket challenges, making his own lunches, favorite ingredients, kitchen mistakes, and what makes cooking memorable and fun for him. I hope this episode leaves you smiling and inspired to bring a little more curiosity, creativity, and ownership into the kitchen. It's a fun, honest glimpse into the food culture we've built in our home and what becomes possible when kids are invited into the experience.

  4. Jan 31

    16: The Real Work Winter Food is Doing for Your Body

    In this episode, you'll hear why winter can feel challenging around food — and why it’s also the most nourishing season when we stop fighting it and start working with it instead.   The wisdom and magic of this season can be felt so deeply in your body if you let it.  This conversation is about aligning your food, rhythms, and expectations with the season you’re actually in — so food feels easier, your body settles, and joy becomes more accessible. In this episode, we talk about: Why life (and food) feels harder when we try to live the same way year-round The cultural mismatch of winter What it means to be cyclical beings — and how winter supports the body’s need for rest and integration Why rest does not mean collapse, zoning out, or being sedentary Melatonin as one of winter’s most healing hormones — and why protecting it matters How winter foods naturally support digestion, blood sugar, energy, and mood The energetics of winter foods and how they hold you when you're holding so much What I've been making in my kitchen this season-- all the details and fun food ideas! Resources: 📚 Seasonal Cookbook List (free): Access here 🍽 Joyful Family Meal Workshop: Access workshop here 🍲 Rooted & Nourished Winter Food Guide: Access full guide here

  5. Jan 3

    15: Taking Care of Your Future Self

    As we move into a new year, it’s easy to feel pressure to fix, optimize, or reinvent ourselves, especially around food and motherhood. This offers a different invitation. Taking Care of Your Future Self is a conversation about devotion instead of discipline, listening instead of fixing, and why tending to ourselves with food is one of the most powerful ways mothers can create steadiness in their homes. Rather than resolutions or overhauls, this episode explores how the most meaningful change begins with small, consistent acts of care — rooted in biology, ancestry, and the rhythms women have always lived by. In this episode, you’ll hear: Why taking care of your future self matters so deeply for mothers How food becomes easier when it’s approached as care, not a problem to solve The difference between fixing yourself and listening to what you need Why the basics work — and always have How tending to yourself now shapes the future for you and your children If food has felt heavy, tangled, or like one more battle to fight, this episode offers a steadier, kinder way forward. Resources: Book a private coaching session: 👉 https://calendly.com/deenabarselah/coaching-consult Learn more about Joyful Family Meal: 👉 https://deenabarselah.com/mealtime

  6. 12/09/2025

    The Sugar Episode

    Sugar isn’t just a food issue — it’s an emotional, physiological, cultural, and relational one. If it feels heavy or confusing in your home, you’re not alone, and you’re not doing anything wrong. In this episode, I walk you through five core themes that explain why sugar feels so hard for so many families — and a kinder, more holistic way to approach it for the long haul. You’ll hear: ✨ Why sugar struggles aren’t really about willpower or “being good” — they’re about nervous system wiring and familiarity. ✨ How a mother’s own history with sugar and sweets influences the emotional atmosphere at home (with compassion, not blame). ✨ What sugar cravings are actually communicating and how to respond with curiosity and clear next steps. ✨ The three most common ways sugar gets tied to rewards, soothing, and connection — and gentle ways to begin uncoupling those patterns. ✨ How to move away from restriction and into an additive, supportive approach that makes everyone in the home feel so much better!   You’ll walk away understanding: 🌿 Why sugar is not “the problem to solve” — and what’s really asking for your attention. 🌿 The key themes that make sugar feel calmer, steadier, and less charged in your home. 🌿 How to support your kids (and yourself) in building a positive, confident relationship with sugar over time — without needing to be perfect. This episode is a compassionate reset for anyone who’s tired of feeling like sugar is a battle. When you shift the lens, everything softens.   🔗 Links & next steps: Book a free consult with me! Join my email community for more support around food & motherhood. Share this episode with a friend who’s struggling with sugar in her home!

  7. 11/14/2025

    Do this to reduce mental load

    In this episode of Joy With Food, I’m sharing the “Decide Once” principle — a simple but powerful way to reduce decision fatigue, lighten the mental load, and create more room for joy (especially in the kitchen). You’ll hear real-life examples both inside and outside of food, why this matters so much for mothers, and how to create Decide Once rhythms that actually feel supportive — not rigid. We’re not meant to live on a hamster wheel of endless to-dos. 🌀 We’re here to savor this precious life — the meals, the moments, the connection. Additional Resources for Support: 🌸 Join the Decide Once community 🍽️ Explore The Joyful Family Meal workshop 📞 Set up a free coaching consultation

  8. 11/07/2025

    Avoiding Burnout in Family Food

    In this episode, I share what’s really behind food burnout — and it’s deeper than decision fatigue or meal planning. We explore how masculine and feminine energies show up in your kitchen and your body, and how a consistent imbalance between the two can quietly drain your joy. I talk about what happens when fear drives us to control food more tightly, and how to shift from rigidity to a more grounded, confident structure that actually supports you and your family. You’ll hear about the cultural conditioning that keeps mothers overdoing, what a healthy masculine and feminine look like in everyday family rhythms, and simple ways to begin finding your own balance again. If food feels like one more job, instead of a place of connection, this conversation will help you reconnect with ease, presence, and the joy that brought you to the table in the first place. Resources: Schedule a free coaching consult here. Access the Joyful Family Meal Workshop here.

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About

Deena Barselah, Holistic and Integrative Health Coach, is redefining family food so you can find more joy, confidence, and peace when it comes to everyday mealtime. A few times per week, Deena will guide you with kitchen tips, new or old ideas to challenge, nutritional wisdom to embrace, methods to meal plan that actually work, fun and inviting ways to involve your kid/s, simple ways to decode food behaviors, and ideas for making mealtime sacred, special, and joyful. This podcast is the inspiring, warm, and understanding friend we all wish we had right beside us in the kitchen.

Information

  • Creator
    Deena Barselah
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Joy With Food