
165 episodes

Mary’s Cup of Tea: the Self-Love Podcast for Women Mary Jelkovsky
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- Health & Fitness
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4.9 • 583 Ratings
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Welcome to Self-Love.
Your host Mary Jelkovsky will guide you toward greater self-love by exploring related topics like body-image, confidence, emotional intelligence, self-worth, mindset, mental health, feminism, relationships, and so much more. Along the way, Mary lets you in on her personal life, never shying away from the messy, raw, and real conversations that we all crave. So grab a cup of tea and get ready to love yourself a little more each week.
After recovering from an eating disorder, Mary started her Instagram account @maryscupofteaa to help people accept their bodies and learn to love themselves unconditionally. Now, she is the best-selling author of 2 books: The Gift of Self-Love workbook and the 100 Days of Self-Love journal. Learn more at maryscupoftea.com.
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#164: Conquering Summer Body-Image Struggles
As the weather gets warmer, body-image can get harder. You might be thinking, “I’m nervous to be in a swimsuit around all of my friends, showing so much skin makes me feel insecure…” That’s why Mary is sharing 3 reminders for conquering summer body-image struggles: so that you can wear that bikini with less shame and more confidence.
Remember: do not let your body-IMAGE influence your life EXPERIENCE, especially this summer.
This episode is supported by Big Heart Tea, my favorite certified-organic tea, wrapped in sustainable packaging made from plants (not plastics), and produced with the utmost regard for the farmers who grow it. I love Big Heart Tea because their company is female-founded and mission-driven. Their Farmers Collection is a growing line of intentionally-sourced, direct trade teas, which you can really taste with every sip. I’m currently drinking their signature Cup of Sunshine herbal blend which is great for the afternoon when you don’t want caffeine. Stock up on your own tea by going to [bighearttea.com](http://bighearttea.com/) and use code MARY20 for a discount!
If you enjoyed this episode, screenshot it and tag @maryspodcast on social media! And make sure to get Mary’s books two on self-love:
- *The Gift of Self-Love*: https://maryscupoftea.com/gift-of-self-love. This is a self-love workbook that will help you build confidence, recognize your worth, and learn to finally love yourself.
- *100 Days of Self-Love:* [maryscupoftea.com/journal](http://maryscupoftea.com/journal). This is a guided journal with 100 prompts to help you calm self-criticism and learn to love who you are. -
#163: Feeling Lost? Listen to this.
Being lost is not just necessary. It’s inevitable. Everyone feels lost at times, most of us feel slightly lost all of the time. Whether you’re going through a transition in your career, questioning your purpose or feeling confused about your next steps, this episode will give you glimmers of hope amidst uncertainty.
You will learn...
- the 2 manifestations of feeling lost and where they stem from
- how to feel less agitated and more excited
- mindset shifts and ways to deal with your un-lived potentials
- how to surrender and trust that you are exactly where you need to be
Remember: You can look for yourself in people, places, careers, hobbies, experiences, and things, but the core of who you are is already within you. Clarity will come when you try new things and put yourself in positions to meet new opportunities.
This episode is supported by Big Heart Tea, my favorite certified-organic tea, wrapped in sustainable packaging made from plants (not plastics), and produced with the utmost regard for the farmers who grow it. I love Big Heart Tea because their company is female-founded and mission-driven. Their Farmers Collection is a growing line of intentionally-sourced, direct trade teas, which you can really taste with every sip. I’m currently drinking their signature Cup of Sunshine herbal blend which is great for the afternoon when you don’t want caffeine. Stock up on your own tea by going to [bighearttea.com](http://bighearttea.com/) and use code MARY20 for a discount!
If you enjoyed this episode, screenshot it and tag @maryspodcast on social media! And make sure to get Mary’s books two on self-love:
- *The Gift of Self-Love*: https://maryscupoftea.com/gift-of-self-love. This is a self-love workbook that will help you build confidence, recognize your worth, and learn to finally love yourself.
- *100 Days of Self-Love:* [maryscupoftea.com/journal](http://maryscupoftea.com/journal). This is a guided journal with 100 prompts to help you calm self-criticism and learn to love who you are.
Mentioned In This Episode...
Cheryl Strayed’s book, Tiny Beautiful Things: https://amzn.to/43ebyUt
Oliver Burkeman’s book, Four Thousand Weeks: https://amzn.to/439aT6F -
#162: When Wellness Becomes BS w/ Christy Harrison, MPH, Registered Dietitian and Intuitive Eating Counselor
Christy Harrison, a pioneer in the anti-diet movement, has transformed the way I see food, weight, and health. Now she’s coming on the show to talk about THE WELLNESS TRAP, a hodgepodge of diet culture, disinformation, and dubious diagnoses. Many wellness solutions that promise “health and healing” are really just promoting a standard of health that’s unattainable, problematic, and harmful to your health.
You will learn...
- why diets and weight loss are NOT the solution to most all health concerns
- how the wellness world tricks us into dubious diagnoses and harmful approaches to “healing”
- who often falls into the wellness trap (and why YOU might have at times too…)
- how to think critically and employ scientific literacy
Remember: a healthy amount of skepticism will keep you from falling into the wellness trap. Not everything needs to be cured or healed, especially if the methods are scientifically unsound.
Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, is a registered dietitian nutritionist, certified intuitive eating counselor, and journalist who has been covering food, nutrition, and health for more than 20 years. She is the author of two books, [The Wellness Trap](https://christyharrison.com/the-wellness-trap) and [Anti-Diet](https://christyharrison.com/book-anti-diet-intuitive-eating-christy-harrison), and the producer and host of the podcasts [Rethinking Wellness](https://link.chtbl.com/rethinkingwellness) and [Food Psych](https://christyharrison.com/foodpsych), which have helped tens of thousands of people around the world think critically about diet and wellness culture and develop more peaceful relationships with food. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, SELF, BuzzFeed, Refinery29, Gourmet, Slate, the Food Network, and many other publications, and her work is regularly featured in national print and broadcast media. Learn more about Christy and her work at [christyharrison.com](http://christyharrison.com/)
Follow Christy on Instagram: @chr1styharrison
Learn more about Christy’s new book, The Wellness Trap: https://christyharrison.com/the-wellness-trap
And if you enjoyed this episode, screenshot it and share it on social media! Make sure to tag @maryspodcast and @christyharrison
Mentioned in This Episode:
Fears About Food Additives (article written by Christy): https://christyharrison.ck.page/posts/fears-about-food-additives
Is Red Food Dye Dangerous? https://www.parentdata.org/p/is-red-food-dye-dangerous?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email -
#161: What Helped Me Finally Stop Binge Eating
If you’ve ever struggled with binge eating, you know how difficult it is to stop. You might have tried everything from strict dieting to intuitive eating, wishing that something would help stop your battle with food for good. Mary has been on this journey herself after nearly a decade of struggling with bulimia and binge eating. In this episode, she shares the mindset that helped her FINALLY stop binge eating… forever. Tune in for some refreshing encouragement + a mindset shift for overcoming binge eating.
Remember: binge eating is symbolic of how we function overall. That frantic, compulsive energy around food translates into other areas too. Where else does this binge/ restrict/ self-hate pattern show up in your life?
If you’re interested in Mary’s 4-week program for conquering body-image struggles, breaking the diet cycle, and learning to love yourself, get it Beyond Body here for 75% off: https://maryscupoftea.com/beyond-body -
#160: Dating in ED Recovery + Life as a Content Creator w/ Brittani Lancaster
ED recovery and body acceptance influencer Brittani Lancaster joins us for an honest conversation about online dating, working a 9-5 AND being a TikTok influencer, and what life is like as a content creator.
Remember: it’s okay to keep your personal passion separate from your intellectual passion. You are a multi-faceted human being.
Follow Britt on IG/ TikTok: @brittanilancaster
And if you enjoyed this episode, screenshot it and share it on social media! Make sure to tag @maryspodcast and @brittanilancaster
*On that note, I’m going to take a dramatic sip of tea... Big Heart Tea, that is! My favorite certified organic tea, wrapped in sustainable packaging made from plants (not plastics), and produced with the utmost regard for the farmers who grow it. I love Big Heart Tea because their company is female-founded and mission-driven. Their Farmers Collection is a growing line of intentionally-sourced, direct trade teas, which you can really taste with every sip. I’m currently drinking their signature Cup of Sunshine herbal blend which is great for the afternoon when you don’t want caffeine. Stock up on your own tea by going to [bighearttea.com](http://bighearttea.com/) and use code MARY20 for a discount!* -
#159: How to Make Your Friendships Stronger
You might have friends that you think you’re close to, but are you really? Most people say they don’t want surface-level friendships, but I think because of capitalism, hustle culture, and the individualistic way in which we live, our friendships have inevitably become surface level even if both people are actually rather deep! It’s just hard to translate that depth to another person unless you know how to intentionally take it there. In this episode, Mary talks about how to make your existing friendships stronger.
You will learn about...
- the importance of having fulfilling friendships and how to foster them
- some friend date ideas that are much more fun that your typical lunch date
- tips for getting your friends together in a wholesome way
Remember: it takes a village for you to thrive. We are not meant to walk through life alone.
If you enjoyed this episode, screenshot it and tag @maryspodcast on social media!
And make sure to get Mary’s books two on self-love:
- *The Gift of Self-Love*: https://maryscupoftea.com/gift-of-self-love. This is a self-love workbook that will help you build confidence, recognize your worth, and learn to finally love yourself.
- *100 Days of Self-Love:* [maryscupoftea.com/journal](http://maryscupoftea.com/journal). This is a guided journal with 100 prompts to help you calm self-criticism and learn to love who you are.
Mentioned In This Episode...
We’re Not Really Strangers card game:
Priya Parker’s, The Art of Gathering:
Customer Reviews
Insightful and challenging!
Mary is such a well spoken, well read person! I often find that she has a vastly different perspective than I do on a lot of social issues & I love that she opens me up to a different view point without any any harshness. I sometimes catch myself responding to her in my head because it feels like I’m just having a great chat with a friend. So grateful for amazing podcasts like this one!
Very insightful and meaningful
I love how Mary makes important distinctions between things that are often confused for each other. In Ep 2, for example, she contrasts “having” a thing (such as a relationship) with “doing” or “being” the reason why you wanted the thing in the first place. If you think you will be happy when you “have” a relationship, maybe you can be happier right now by choosing to be and do the things you think you would get from a relationship, like do fun things, give and receive support, loved and be loved. You can do and be those things for yourself right now even without a relationship. Excellent point and thanks for making it. Another example is in Ep 156 where she advises us to separate our challenges from our identity. Your challenges are not YOU. Another excellent insight. And she is vulnerable and transparent with us the whole time. Really great work. Thanks Mary for such meaningful cups of tea!
The self-love queen
Thank you for reminding us that pleasure is worth it and important in our lives —-and certainly nothing to be ashamed of. You are wise beyond your years!