The Anti-Macro Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this conversation, I’m joined by naturopathic physician and aesthetic medicine specialist Dr. Natalya Borakowski to explore the intersection of beauty, physiology, and self-trust.

With nearly two decades of experience in cosmetic dermatology, Dr. Borakowski shares how her work has evolved beyond external treatments into deeper conversations around identity, aging, and the psychological drivers behind why women feel the need to “fix” themselves.

We unpack the growing tension around aesthetics and how many women find themselves caught in a cycle of chasing the next treatment, product, or protocol in hopes of finally feeling confident in their own skin.

This episode connects the dots between internal health, stress, behavior, and how we experience our appearance, and challenges the idea that doing more is the solution.

In this episode, we cover:

• What aesthetic medicine is and where it can be supportive vs. harmful
• The psychology behind “fixing” your appearance and where it often goes wrong
• How beauty standards and social media shape self-perception
• The difference between self-care and outcome-chasing
• Why “just one more treatment” often turns into a cycle
• How chronic stress impacts skin, aging, and overall appearance
• The role of internal health (nutrition, sleep, recovery) in how we age
• Why external interventions can’t replace foundational health habits
• How to approach aesthetics from a place of self-trust instead of insecurity
• The importance of asking “why” before making changes to your body
  

If you feel caught between wanting to age naturally and wanting to change your appearance this conversation will give you a more grounded, honest way to think about beauty, health, and self-worth.

Connect with Dr. Natalya

https://unveilyou.life/

Instagram: @desertbloomskincare

Macro tracking has become one of the most polarizing tools in the health and fitness space. For some, it provides structure, clarity, and measurable progress. For others, it reinforces control, rigidity, and a disordered relationship with food.

For a long time, I sat firmly in the second camp.

In this episode, I’m sharing why I built my coaching philosophy around being “anti-macro,” what shaped that perspective, and what ultimately led me to change my mind.

This isn’t a conversation about macros being good or bad. It’s a deeper look at how tools are used, how context matters, and why the same strategy can be helpful for one person and harmful for another.

Through personal experience, coaching patterns, and continued education, my perspective has evolved. What I once saw as a problem, I now understand as a tool — one that can either support or hinder progress depending on how it’s applied.

This episode walks through that evolution, while also helping you think more critically about your own approach to nutrition. The goal isn’t to convince you to track macros but rather to help you understand how to choose an approach that actually works for your body, your goals, and your relationship with food.

In this episode, we cover:
• My personal history with macro tracking and how it shaped my initial “anti-macro” stance
• How control, restriction, and body image influenced my early experience with tracking
• The difference between a tool being harmful vs. how it’s being used
• Why many people struggle with macro tracking and where it can reinforce disordered patterns
• The overlap between hand portions and macro awareness
• What shifted my perspective through continued education and coaching experience
• The moment that challenged my stance as a coach and why it mattered
• What changed in my own experience when I revisited macro tracking years later
• The difference between tracking from a place of control vs. curiosity
• Why consistency, accessibility, and relationship with food matter more than any specific method
• Why there is no single “best” approach — only what works in your current season

If you’ve ever felt confused about whether you should be tracking macros, frustrated by past experiences with it, or unsure what approach actually makes sense for your body, this episode will help you step back, think more clearly, and make a more informed decision.

Connect With Coach DianaInstagram, YouTube, TikTok: @coachdianaleighEmail: coachdianaleigh@gmail.com

When was the last time you woke up truly refreshed?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Barry Krakow, a leading sleep expert, to uncover what most doctors (and patients) miss about sleep. We go beyond “get your 8 hours” and dive into what quality sleep really means — and why ignoring it can damage your brain, hormones, and long-term health.

Dr. Krakow shares fascinating insights on:

• Why sleep quality is more important than sleep quantity
• How the glymphatic system “cleans” your brain at night
• Why needing caffeine to feel normal is a red flag
• The hidden link between nocturia (nighttime bathroom trips) and sleep disorders
• How women’s sleep struggles — from perimenopause to pregnancy — are often dismissed or misdiagnosed
• Why CPAP isn’t the only option, and what alternatives may be more effective

If you’ve ever been told “your sleep study looks fine” while still feeling exhausted, this conversation will be eye-opening.

Resources & Links:

• Dr. Krakow’s website: barrykrakowmd.com
• Books mentioned: Life-Saving Sleep and Fast Asleep

For this episode, I interviewed my former client, Jhana. Jhana worked with me from November 2019 until November 2020, so as you can imagine we tackled A LOT together. We reflect on what it was like for Jhana to kickstart her postpartum weight loss journey just before Thanksgiving and how ditching macros enabled her to enjoy the holidays while seeing progress as well as how we navigated the stress of the pandemic and everything that came with it. We also touch upon how she used what she learned while working with me to navigate her third postpartum weight loss journey on her own, proving these strategies are sustainable and create a lifestyle change that can always be relied upon. We also touch upon some of the craziest moments of our dieting days, the mindset shifts that come with ditching macros, and what it's like to live a life with real food freedom.

Connect with Coach Diana Leigh

Instagram @coachdianaleigh

TikTok @coachdianaleigh

Facebook @Coach Diana Leigh

The holiday season is a time of food-centric gatherings, indulgences, and being overwhelmingly busy which is why *most* people will fall off track with their health habits. What if you didn't have to be one of those people who struggled to stay on track during the holidays because you knew exactly how to overcome any obstacle you face? I'm dishing out my best holiday strategies to help you feel balanced WITHOUT feeling like you have to diet. In this episode, I'm providing tips to help you reduce over-eating, embrace mindful and guilt-free indulgences, set realistic habit standards, and more.

Connect with Coach Diana Leigh

Instagram @coachdianaleigh

TikTok @coachdianaleigh

Facebook @Coach Diana Leigh

If you're active to some degree, you've probably faced an injury at some point in your life. Whether you broke a bone, tore a muscle, or simply had a nagging pain that started for no known reason, physical pain has impacted you and your health journey to some degree. In this episode, I interviewed my back rehab coach, David Sluss (@goturbackcoaching, co-owner of Bear Republic CrossFit), to chat about our experiences with chronic back pain, the mistakes we made, and how we ultimately got the help we needed to live pain-free. Our experiences not only impacted us as individuals but also in how we coach our group classes and 1:1 clients. We also dive into the mindset around injury - Will you lose progress in your health and fitness journey if you take a break? How can you prevent injuries through warm up and training protocols? How is over-exercising and pushing yourself to the limit actually setting you back?

Resources referenced within the podcast episode:
Books by Stuart McGill

Gift of Injury by Dr. Stuart McGill

Back Mechanic by Dr. Stuart McGill

More about Dr. Andrew Lock

More about Dr. Ryan Summers and ActiveLife

Healing Back Pain by John E. Sarno, MD

Get in touch with David

Instagram: @goturbackcoaching 

Email: david@bearrepubliccrossfit.com

When someone decides to set out on the path of improving their nutrition, they're often led towards dieting or calorie counting or macro tracking. Counting calories and macros has become one of the most popular routes for people to take when they're trying to embark on a health journey of any kind - whether it's weight loss or building muscle or just improving how they eat. The issue that I find with jumping into these methods as your first line of defense is focus on how much you're eating versus how you are eating. Our problem with food cannot simply be boiled down to the quantity in which we eat, which I find to be the primary conversation being had in this space. In today's episode, I'm going to dive into the behaviors that are impacting your relationship with food, and as a result, the choices you make when it comes to food. Then I'm going to give you action steps to take to improve your eating behaviors to better recognize and respond to your hunger and fullness cues.

Being told your labs are “normal” when you don’t feel normal is frustrating. In this episode, I break down how to approach your lab results with clarity instead of panic, why context matters, and how functional ranges differ from conventional ones. You’ll learn how to use labs as a tool in your health journey without letting them become the whole story.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why a single lab value doesn’t tell the full story about your health

• How symptoms like sweet cravings can have multiple root causes

• The limitations of conventional medicine when it comes to labs

• The difference between conventional and functional lab ranges

• How to use labs alongside lifestyle data to create a bigger picture of your health

• Why optimizing your health now can prevent disease later

• The mindset shift you need when interpreting lab results

If you’re tired of being told your labs are “fine” while you still don’t feel fine, my 1:1 Intensive is designed to bridge that gap. Together we’ll review your intake, your symptoms, and your labs if you have them, then build a personalized protocol that gives you clarity and direction. You’ll leave with answers, a clear plan, and two weeks of support so you’re not left wondering what to do next.

Learn more and get started here: https://coach.everfit.io/package/OP626907

When it comes to performance, are women really that different from men—or are we overlooking the basics? And how can heart rate zones and energy systems training change the way we approach health, longevity, and athletic goals?

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Blake Graham, chiropractor, sports medicine educator, and practitioner at Delta S Performance in Colorado. Blake’s diverse background in sports medicine and holistic wellness has given him a unique perspective on how women train, recover, and perform.

We explore:

• The similarities and differences in training women vs. men—and why access to strength and conditioning matters

• How menstrual cycle health can reveal deeper insights into performance, recovery, and overall well-being

• Where research still falls short on women’s sports and physiology

• Why evidence-informed coaching (not rigidly “evidence-based”) allows for more individualized care

• How heart rate zones and energy systems training support fat utilization, recovery, and long-term health

• The balance between intensity and recovery to avoid burnout and achieve sustainable results

If you’re interested in women’s performance, cycle health, or learning how to use heart rate training to optimize both fitness goals and longevity, this conversation will give you a practical, evidence-informed lens you can apply immediately.

Connect with Dr. Blake Graham

• Instagram: @drblakegraham

• Website: deltasperformance.com

“I eat well.”

It’s something I hear all the time from people who feel stuck in their health and wellness journey. But that statement isn’t helpful—and in many cases, it’s the very thing keeping you from making real progress.

In this episode, I break down why “eating well” is a subjective belief, how it can sabotage your results, and what truly nourishing your body actually looks like. We’ll cover:

• The common (and problematic) interpretations of “eating well”

• How under-eating, macro imbalances, and marketing buzzwords can keep you spinning your wheels

• Sneaky food choices that seem healthy but aren’t aligned with your goals

• The five pillars I use with clients to assess whether their diet is actually working for them

• Why consistency - not perfection - is the key to seeing change

If you’ve been telling yourself you're doing everything right but not seeing results, this is the episode you need.

Free Nutrition Audit
Want feedback on your current eating habits? Book a 30-minute nutrition audit and get personalized insights:

https://calendly.com/coachdianaleigh/free-nutrition-consultation

1:1 Coaching
Ready to master your nutrition, digestion, and hormones? Apply for coaching here:

https://bit.ly/applycoachd
Coaching is now eligible for HSA and FSA funds.