Episode 213: Low-Carb Dietary Innovations and Healthy Living w/ Arash Hashemi
Drama-Free Healthy Living With Jess Cording
Release Date: 06/25/2024
Episode 246: Empowering Women’s Sleep w/ Jackie Hutson from Piper & Mint PJS
Drama-Free Healthy Living With Jess Cording
📌Make sure to check out Piper & Mint PJs on 👉 Jackie Hutson is a wife, mom to two energetic, sports-loving boys, and a founder who seems to live life in motion—in all the best ways. She plays in a competitive tennis league, loves diving into business and entrepreneurship, and brings an easy, grounded optimism into everything she does. Her entrepreneurial spark lit up early: at age 11, she made $5,000 selling Beanie Babies. Since then, she’s launched several product-based businesses, including an accessory line created while studying abroad in Italy. After college, Jackie built...
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Episode 245: Holiday Metabolism
Drama-Free Healthy Living With Jess Cording
Episode Description In this solo episode, we’re unpacking what really happens to your metabolism during the holidays and why it’s not as dramatic or disastrous as the internet makes it seem. Instead of stressing over travel, late nights, celebrations, and all the festive food, we’ll look at how small, doable habits can help you feel steady, nourished, and grounded through the season. You’ll get a clearer understanding of how sleep, stress, movement, and nutrition influence your energy, along with realistic ways to support yourself without giving up the joy of the holidays. No...
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Episode 244: Transform Your Health with Functional Fitness | Jess Cording x Dr. Jessica Shepherd & Rachel Katzman
Drama-Free Healthy Living With Jess Cording
📌Make sure to check out Pvolve at 👉 In this episode of Drama Free Healthy Living, host Jess Cording interviews Dr. Jessica Shepherd and Rachel Katzman about the innovative approaches in women's fitness today. They explore the benefits of functional fitness for improving posture, reducing back pain, and boosting energy. Dr. Shepherd shares her personal journey with functional fitness and how it transformed her physical health and mindset. The conversation highlights the importance of finding balanced fitness routines that not only change appearances but also enhance overall well-being...
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Episode 243: Solo Episode Easy Breakfasts to Support Healthy Metabolism
Drama-Free Healthy Living With Jess Cording
Episode Description In this solo episode, I dive into why a nourishing breakfast does so much more than just “start your day.” It helps stabilize blood sugar, support hormone balance, and fuel your metabolism—especially for women over 35. If you’ve ever skipped breakfast or relied on a granola bar and coffee to get by, this episode will help you rethink what your mornings can look like. You’ll learn what to eat (and why) to keep your energy steady, your mood balanced, and your body supported. From easy make-ahead ideas like overnight oats and smoothies to savory options like veggie...
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Episode 242: Unmasking High-Functioning Depression w/ Dr. Judith Joseph, MD, MBA
Drama-Free Healthy Living With Jess Cording
📌Make sure to check out the book 👉 Judith Joseph, MD, MBA, is a Columbia-trained psychiatrist and the founder of and chief investigator at Manhattan Behavioral Medicine, New York City’s premier clinical research site, a clinical assistant professor in child and adolescent psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical Center in Manhattan, and chairwoman of the Women in Medicine Board at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Judith Joseph was awarded by the US House of Representatives with a 2023 Congress Proclamation Award for her social media advocacy and...
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Episode 241: My Life Lately: Fall 2025 Update
Drama-Free Healthy Living With Jess Cording
Episode Description: It’s been a while since I’ve done a solo episode, and this felt like the right moment to sit down and share a little life update. A lot has changed for me this year — some of it amazing, some of it challenging, and plenty of it somewhere in between. In this episode, I’m talking about what day-to-day life looks like right now, how I’m finding my footing in a new season, and the little shifts that are making a big difference. Think of this as us catching up over coffee — honest, a little messy at times, and hopefully a reminder that none of us have it all figured...
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Re-Release Episode 206: What To Eat When You’re Exhausted
Drama-Free Healthy Living With Jess Cording
Episode Description: You know those days when you wake up tired, and before you know it, you’re reaching for coffee, donuts, chips, anything to keep going? You’re not imagining it—and you’re definitely not lacking willpower. When you’re running on empty, there are real changes happening in your body that make cravings stronger and energy harder to manage. In this episode, we’ll unpack what’s really going on when exhaustion hits, why your body asks for quick fixes, and how to work with those signals instead of feeling like you’re fighting against them. I’ll share practical...
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Re-Release Episode 137: Little Game Changers: Hanger Management
Drama-Free Healthy Living With Jess Cording
Episode Description: In this solo episode of The Drama-Free Healthy Living Podcast, we’re talking about something we’ve all dealt with but don’t always know how to manage: hanger — that fiery mix of hunger and irritability that can completely throw off your day. I’m sharing some of my favorite tools from my book, The Little Book of Game Changers: 50 Healthy Habits for Managing Stress & Anxiety, to help you understand what’s really going on in your body and why your mood, energy, and focus can take a hit when you go too long without eating or lean on foods that don’t keep you...
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Re-Release Episode 152: The Overthink-Proof Plate—3 Formulas For Healthy Eating
Drama-Free Healthy Living With Jess Cording
Episode Description: In this solo episode, I’m walking you through one of my favorite tools for simplifying healthy eating. Instead of obsessing over numbers or feeling paralyzed by food rules, I’m sharing an easy way to build balanced meals and snacks without the stress. I call it the Overthink-Proof Plate—a flexible, judgment-free framework I’ve been using with clients and patients for years. You’ll learn simple formulas that support steady energy, better moods, and fewer blood sugar crashes. We’ll talk about what a “balanced” plate actually looks like, how to stop...
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Re-release Episode 160: How To Make A Loneliness Game Plan
Drama-Free Healthy Living With Jess Cording
Episode Description: Loneliness doesn’t always show up with warning signs. Sometimes it’s loud. Other times, it’s that quiet urge to fill an online cart you don’t need, or the weird heaviness of a free weekend with nothing on the calendar. In this solo episode of The Drama-Free Healthy Living Podcast, let’s talk about the very human experience of feeling disconnected—and what to actually do about it. I’ll walk you through my go-to “Loneliness Game Plan,” a set of simple, practical steps to help you manage those tough moments without spiraling into habits that leave you...
info_outlineIn this episode of Drama Free Healthy Living, host Jess Cording speaks with Arash Hashemi, the creator of Kaizen, the world's lowest carb, highest protein rice and pasta, and the founder of the online community Shred Happens. Arash shares his inspiring journey from being a Fortune 100 finance executive weighing 350 pounds to transforming his life and health through diet, mindset, and lifestyle changes.
The discussion covers his favorite Persian dishes, the evolution of Kaizen foods, and the importance of finding sustainable, enjoyable ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Arash also talks about the mental challenges associated with weight loss and the role of social media in shaping perceptions about health and fitness. The episode emphasizes the importance of adapting to life changes and maintaining a positive, practical approach toward health goals.
🖋️ Some key points
00:41 Guest Introduction: Arash Hashemi
01:10 Arash's Health Journey
02:13 Persian Cuisine Favourites
04:11 Creating Kaizen: The Healthiest Pasta
05:29 Jess's Personal Health Adventure
08:49 Arash's Weight Loss Strategies
18:08 Mental Shifts and Small Goals
20:40 The Reality of Fitness on Social Media
21:18 Practicality in Fitness Goals
23:37 Adapting to Life's Changes
26:20 Weight Loss Surgery Considerations
28:44 The Mental Aspect of Food
30:55 Kaizen Foods: A Healthier Option
34:18 Defining Healthy Living
Arash Hashemi BIO
Arash Hashemi is the creator of Kaizen, the world’s lowest-carb and highest protein rice and pasta, and the personality and recipe developer behind @Shredhappens, an online social media community of millions.
A former Fortune 100 finance executive, Arash battled an unhealthy relationship with food for all of his adult life. In 2017 at 350 lbs., he decided to leave his flourishing finance career and devote himself to getting healthy and changing not only his diet, but mindset and lifestyle.
With no immediate plans other than losing weight and discovering health, Arash began @ShredHappens as a simple accountability tool to share recipes and chronicle his weight loss. He fell in love with creating and sharing healthier versions of his favorite foods. The Instagram account quickly grew into an engaged online community, which allowed Arash to focus solely on his passion: creating healthy recipes, often with a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern spin, reflecting his Persian roots.
Despite his remarkable success, Arash missed his favorite food – pasta. He could not find an alternative that suited his new dietary lifestyle. He and his wife Madalina were determined to create an option that would satisfy his cravings and meet his needs.
After years of fine-tuning, Arash and Madalina introduced Kaizen Food Company’s pasta and rice in 2021. Kaizen is a continuous improvement philosophy, which places emphasis on small, consistent changes – like what drove the success of Arash’s health journey. Kaizen is the world’s lowest-carb, highest-protein gluten- and grain-free pasta. Made with lupini beans, Kaizen has 85% fewer carbs and three times the protein of traditional pasta.
Arash resides in Amherst, MA, with his wife Madalina and enjoys traveling the globe in search of inspiring cuisines and time with their two dogs.
🌎 Connect with Arash Hashemi
Website
Social media links
Kaizen: https://www.instagram.com/kaizenfoodco/
ShredHappens: https://www.instagram.com/shredhappens/
Kaizen: https://www.facebook.com/KaizenFoodCo
ShredHappens: https://www.facebook.com/shredhappens
TikTok
ShredHappens: https://www.tiktok.com/@ketorecipes
🎤 Podcast post-production EZPZ Podcasting.