In this episode, Ina Benkova, a registered dietitian specializing in sustainable weight loss, dives into the world of diet culture—what it is, its historical roots, and its impact on our physical, mental, and emotional health. Learn how diet culture shows up in everyday life and discover actionable strategies to break free and build a healthier, more compassionate relationship with food and your body.

We cover:

- What Is Diet Culture? Understanding its beliefs and how it influences food choices, body image, and health behaviors.

- Symptoms of Diet Culture

- The History of Diet Culture: From calorie counting in the 1900s to today’s “clean eating” trends, explore how diet culture evolved.

- How to Break Free: Practical steps to reject harmful diet culture messages, reconnect with hunger cues, and embrace body neutrality.

- Simple actions you can take today to reclaim your time and energy from diet culture.

🎧 Tune in to challenge the status quo and start living a life that values well-being over weight.

WORK WITH INA BENKOVA, RD

If you are in Ontario and you want to work with Ina for nutrition support, overcoming emotional or binge eating, or breaking free from Diet Culture, you can book a consultation with her on our clinic website https://www.highmetabolicclinic.com/nutrition

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WORK WITH ME

Join my Weight Loss Coaching Program for women, Best Weight https://www.sashahighmd.com/bestweight

Recover Strong for Binge Eating - https://www.sashahighmd.com/bed

Ontario OHIP-covered Obesity Medicine https://www.highmetabolicclinic.com

Join me for a special New Year’s Eve episode where I share 5 principles and 3 actionable tools to help you set yourself up with the right mindset for success in 2025. Learn how to move beyond fleeting resolutions and instead build meaningful habits that align with your goals and values. Whether your focus is on health, weight loss, or general self-improvement, this episode is all about shifting your mindset for sustainable growth.

Tools for Success in the New Year:

Tool #1: Reflect on your WHY to anchor your actions in meaningful purpose.

Tool #2: Celebrate your progress so far and build confidence from your wins.

Tool #3: Use mantras to reinforce your belief in your ability to succeed.

Success isn’t about perfection or quick fixes—it’s built on small, consistent actions rooted in purpose. This year, focus on creating a mindset that fuels sustainable growth, embraces the process, and keeps you connected to what truly matters.

Connect with Dr. Sasha High:

Instagram: @sashahighmd

Best Weight Coaching Program for Women: www.sashahighmd.com/bestweight

Ontario OHIP-covered Obesity Medicine https://www.highmetabolicclinic.com

Happy New Year! Wishing you health, joy, and peace in 2025. See you in the next episode! 🎉

In this episode of High on Life, Dr. Sasha High tackles a common struggle: how to get moving when you just don’t feel like it. Sasha shares practical and empowering tips to help you take action even when motivation is low.

She discusses strategies such as reconnecting with your "why," setting smaller, more manageable goals, and quieting the inner voice that tries to talk you out of exercising. Sasha also provides relatable examples, like restructuring your day to fit in movement, wearing workout clothes as a subtle commitment, and finding accountability through community or fitness groups.

Exercise is about more than physical fitness; it’s a way to show up for yourself and support your mental wellbeing. Sasha encourages listeners to take one small step today—whether it’s lacing up their shoes, stretching for five minutes, or walking around the block—because progress starts with action.

Join Best Weight, Sasha’s program for women committed to health and healing their relationship with food and their body. Learn more at www.sashahighmd.com/bestweight.

FOLLOW SASHA

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sashahighmd/

Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@sashahighmd

WORK WITH ME

Join my Weight Loss Coaching Program for women, Best Weight https://www.sashahighmd.com/bestweight

Recover Strong for Binge Eating - https://www.sashahighmd.com/bed

Ontario OHIP-covered Obesity Medicine https://www.highmetabolicclinic.com

In this episode of High on Life, I’m diving into a topic that I know many of us face during the holiday season—those unsolicited comments about weight or bodies. Whether it’s a well-meaning compliment or a critical remark, these moments can feel uncomfortable and sometimes even stressful.

I’m sharing practical strategies to help you handle these situations with confidence and grace. We’ll talk about setting boundaries, crafting empowering responses, and even using humor to diffuse tension. I’ll also help you unpack where these comments often come from so you can approach them with compassion while still standing firm in your own boundaries.

Remember: your worth has nothing to do with your body size or weight.

If you’ve ever felt scrutinized at holiday gatherings, this episode is for you. Let’s reclaim the joy of the season and focus on what really matters—love, connection and the true meaning of Christmas.

🎄 Wishing you a holiday season filled with peace, self-compassion, and joy.

I’d love to hear from you about the goals you’re working on or the topics you’d like me to cover in the new year! Feel free to reach out anytime.

💌 Email me: sasha@sashahighmd.com
🌐 Learn more about Best Weight: www.sashahighmd.com/bestweight

If this episode resonated with you, I’d appreciate a quick review—it really helps me reach more people. Thank you for being part of my community. Talk to you next week!

In today’s episode of High on Life, Dr. Sasha High discusses why December (with all the holidays and treats!) is actually the best time to focus on your health and weight loss goals.

Rather than waiting for the New Year to roll around, Dr. High challenges you to break free from the mindset that you need the “perfect time” to start and encourages you to take small, manageable steps toward health and well-being—even during the busy holiday season.

“Waiting for January is perpetuating an internal belief that your circumstances dictate how you show up for yourself.”

Key Takeaways:

• Stop Waiting for the "Perfect Time": Waiting until January to start fresh is a misconception that can keep you stuck in a cycle of deferring action. Life is rarely perfect, and waiting for the ideal moment only reinforces the idea that external circumstances must align for you to take action.
• Progress Over Perfection: December is a great time to let go of all-or-nothing thinking. You don’t need to be perfect to make small, healthy choices. By focusing on progress, you can create a foundation for success that works with your real-life circumstances.
• Small Steps Lead to Big Changes: Starting small in December, like drinking more water or adding a short walk to your routine, is more effective than drastic resolutions. Small actions now will help you build momentum heading into the new year.

Dr. High also offers 9 Practical Tips for Maintaining Health During the Holidays.

Join Best Weight with Sasha High MD:
If you’re a woman who is ready to prioritize your health and work toward your best weight, join Best Weight, my coaching program designed to support you in making lasting, sustainable changes. Inside Best Weight, you’ll learn how to optimize your thinking, build healthy habits, and create consistency that sticks. Visit www.sashahighmd.com/bestweight to join today and build the life and health you deserve!

Links Mentioned:

• Best Weight with Sasha High MD www.sashahighmd.com/bestweight
• Organika Collagen Electrolyte Mix https://amzn.to/3Cx73vU

FOLLOW SASHA

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sashahighmd/

Today’s topic: Workability — a powerful concept from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) that helps you assess if your actions support your values and goals.

What is Workability? A core Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) concept focused on evaluating whether your behaviours align with the life you want. It’s not about good or bad habits but rather, asking if your current actions are effective in the long term.

Workability is a neutral approach, helping you avoid guilt or shame and instead focusing on effectiveness.

In today’s podcast, I outline 5 Steps to apply workability to your lifestyle and health habits:

1. Define your values
2. Assess your habits for workability
3. Experiment and reflect
4. Cultivate flexibility
5. Focus on the process, not perfection

Key Takeaways

• Ask Yourself: “Is my lifestyle working for me?”
• Workability Reminder: Health is about long-term, workable choices, not quick fixes.

If you found this episode helpful, please leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts to help more listeners find the show!

Product Recommendation: One of my favourite tools for boosting NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis): A motorized standing desk, which helps increase daily movement. It’s key for anyone who works from home or has a desk job! Check out my standing desk legs HERE.

FOLLOW SASHA

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sashahighmd/

Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@sashahighmd

WORK WITH ME

Join my Weight Loss Coaching Program for women, Best Weight https://www.sashahighmd.com/bestweight

Recover Strong for Binge Eating - https://www.sashahighmd.com/bed

Ontario OHIP-covered Obesity Medicine https://www.highmetabolicclinic.com

In this episode, I’m coming from a place of real concern. Recently, I’ve had a few patients who have brought to my attention that weight loss is not always beneficial – and when done without proper support and guidance, can in fact be detrimental. These are patients who have been referred to me by other providers to assume care for their obesity treatment, when they come to me, I often find their health is compromised—they’re lacking in essential nutrients, aren’t taking necessary vitamins, and have likely lost a significant amount of muscle. This isn’t the kind of weight loss we want to see, and today I want to dive into why guidance and balanced nutrition are so critical on this journey.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Why the Scale Isn’t the Whole Story
2. Understanding Sarcopenia and Its Risks
3. Risks of Severe Caloric Restriction
4. Nutritional Deficits and Health Impacts
5. Healthy Weight Loss Strategies

Not all weight loss is beneficial, especially when muscle loss and nutrient deficiencies come into play. GLP-1 medications, bariatric surgery, and calorie restriction can be useful tools but must be paired with lifestyle changes that support muscle retention and nutrient adequacy. The ultimate goal is optimal health, not just a shrinking scale.

Thank you for tuning in! If you found today’s episode helpful, please share it with someone who might need to hear this message. Remember, weight loss that preserves muscle and provides adequate nutrition is the key to long-term health.

FOLLOW SASHA

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sashahighmd/

Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@sashahighmd

WORK WITH ME

Join my Weight Loss Coaching Program for women, Best Weight https://www.sashahighmd.com/bestweight

Recover Strong for Binge Eating - https://www.sashahighmd.com/bed

Ontario OHIP-covered Obesity Medicine https://www.highmetabolicclinic.com

In today’s episode, we’re exploring how the concept of your future self can be a powerful tool when it comes to making mindful health choices. I teach you a tool that involves using your future self to guide your decisions, whether it's reaching for a sugary snack mid-afternoon or debating whether to do your planned workout. We explore three scenarios where Future Self Decision Making can be applied:

1. To encourage you to do physical activity
2. To guide food choices
3. To navigate high risk environments

I also give a little race recap and some insights from my recent 3-race series Run the Hammer.

Take a listen to learn more about how to use this approach in your daily life and start making health choices that truly align with how you want to feel.

Remember: Your future self can be a valuable guide for making decisions that support your health and well-being. Tune in now to hear how this mindset shift can make a difference in your health goals!