Alcohol can give people a temporary state of bliss and euphoria. That’s mainly why some have a hard time breaking free from it. However, letting go of alcohol can have a profound effect on your lifestyle and overall health and wellbeing. With the right mindset and proper diet, you can achieve that freedom from alcohol that you’ve always wanted.

In this week’s podcast episode, I chat with Cassandra Cotoia, a professional chef and a health coach. We discuss her journey into cooking and health coaching, how she and I experimented on different recipes that would be healthy for everyone, and the emotional aspects of alcoholism and how she overcame them.

We also chat about cooking and how it brings families together. We also covered how she enjoyed teaching and working with kids in the kitchen.

Make healthier choices by tuning in to this episode now!

What’s Discussed in This Episode:

1. A little background on Chef Cassandra [2:59]
1. Cooking for Dr. G [5:20]
2. Experimenting on the healthiest diet [6:42]
3. Exploring business opportunities [9:44]
4. Being a chef and a health coach [11:18]
1. Working with kids [12:09]
5. The big ripple effect of cooking as a group [15:22]
1. Food connects to memory [16:27]
2. Food unites families [18:18]
6. Being alcohol-free [20:25]
1. Experiencing the side-effects of alcohol-intake [21:25]
2. It’s hard to be in a world of distractions and not be distracted [22:56]
3. Trying alcohol cessation [23:24]
4. Examining your beliefs to free yourself from alcohol [25:06]
5. Having the right support system to get you through alcohol cessation [26:41]
7. To be good at food, you should be good at playing with food [27:58]
1. Having wine is a culturally-accepted belief system [30:17]
8. It’s okay to feel your emotions [32:20]
1. Alcohol only temporarily pushes your emotions away [34:53]
9. At the end of the day, things are just things [36:34]
10. Answering alcohol recommendation questions from clients [38:51]
11. How to be a health coach with Chef Cassandra [40:35]

About the Guest:

Cassandra Cotoia is a professional chef and health coach from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. With over 20 years of culinary experience, she has transitioned from being an executive chef, working for a private home, to having her own business called Empowered Foodie. In her free time, she enjoys being with her husband Jim and their dog, Roy, and two cats, Minna and Merlin.

Resources:

• Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.drmichellegordon.com/podcasts/) 
• Connect with me on Instagram (@drmichellegordon)
• Follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/DrMichelleGordon)
• Join in on the next beta group (https://bit.ly/betawait) 
• Check out the One Year No Beer Website (https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/)
• Visit the Empowered Foodie Website (https://www.empoweredfoodie.com/)
• Follow Chef Cassandra on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/cassandra.cotoia)
• Join the Empowered Foodie Facebook group (https://ww.facebook.com/groups/1956420097951826)

Books mentioned in this episode:

• Menopause Movement: Recipes for Living by Dr. Michelle Gordon and Chef Cassandra Cotoia (https://amzn.to/3miiawi)
• The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer (https://amzn.to/2E0KZfn)

Connect with me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/DrMichelleGordon) and Instagram (@drmichellegordon). For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Menopause Movement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

Thank you for tuning in!