S11.BONUS 7 | Feel & Function Well: A Christian Approach to Food, Movement, and Mood with Amy Connell
Affirming Truths Podcast | Christian Mental Health, Encouragement
Release Date: 01/12/2026
S11.BONUS 7 | Feel & Function Well: A Christian Approach to Food, Movement, and Mood with Amy Connell
Affirming Truths Podcast | Christian Mental Health, Encouragement
In this episode of Affirming Truths, Carla sits down with Amy Connell, host of the Graced Health Podcast, for a much-needed conversation about the intersection of mental health, nutrition, movement, and identity in Christ. Together, they address how deeply diet culture has shaped women’s relationship with their bodies - and how easily worth gets tangled up with the number on the scale, clothing size, and shifting cultural “ideals.” From Carla’s nervous-system lens, they explore how things like under-eating, blood sugar swings, too much caffeine, poor sleep, and inactivity can shrink...
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S11.BONUS 6 | How to Break the Cycle of Negative Thoughts and Overwhelm: Olivia’s Testimony
Affirming Truths Podcast | Christian Mental Health, Encouragement
In this bonus episode of Affirming Truths, Carla Arges interviews Rooted & Resilient graduate Olivia, who shares what it looked like to walk through a “pit of depression” while trying to keep functioning in everyday life. Olivia describes months-long dips in mood, relentless negative thoughts about herself, and a deep sense of hopelessness - even though she’d grown up in the church and knew, in her head, that God offers hope. Searching for support that combined neuroscience and Christianity, Olivia found Carla’s podcast and joined Rooted & Resilient. She opens up about how...
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S11.BONUS 5 | Healing Isn’t the Absence of Pain: Ivanka’s Rooted & Resilient Testimony
Affirming Truths Podcast | Christian Mental Health, Encouragement
In this special testimony episode of Affirming Truths, Carla Arges sits down with Rooted & Resilient graduate Ivanka to talk about what changed for her over 12 weeks of Christ-centered healing. Ivanka shares how a major breakup and years of mental health struggles left her stuck in fight-or-flight - exhausted, overwhelmed, and unsure what to do next. Through the program, one message became a turning point: healing isn’t the absence of pain - it’s the presence of truth. Ivanka describes how rooted identity in Christ (Galatians 4:4–7) reshaped the way she understood her thoughts,...
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S11.19 | When the Year Has Been Hard: How to Step Into 2026 With Biblical Hope
Affirming Truths Podcast | Christian Mental Health, Encouragement
As Season 11- and 2025 - comes to a close, this episode is for the woman who isn’t excited about a new year. Maybe 2025 was marked by grief, disappointment, unanswered prayers, or deep exhaustion. Maybe you love God, but you’re tired of waiting- and you can’t yet see the light at the end of the tunnel. In this final episode of the year, Carla offers a gentle, hope-filled reflection on how to step into 2026 without pretending things weren’t hard, and without pressuring yourself to have clarity, goals, or excitement. Rooted in Scripture, this episode provides practical ways to hold hope...
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S11. BONUS 4 | Purpose Isn’t What You Do: Finding God’s Design with Jazmin Ruiz
Affirming Truths Podcast | Christian Mental Health, Encouragement
What happens when trauma, mental illness, or burnout make you feel like your purpose has been taken from you? In this bonus episode of Affirming Truths, Carla sits down with Christian mental health therapist, podcaster, and mom Jazmin Ruiz for a deeply grounding conversation about purpose - not as productivity, performance, or career, but as relationship. Together, they explore why so many women feel aimless even when they’re “doing all the right things,” how trauma fuels control and self-reliance, and why Scripture calls us back to being with God before doing anything for Him. Jazmin...
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S11.18 | When Christmas Feels Heavy: Encouragement for the Weary Christian Woman
Affirming Truths Podcast | Christian Mental Health, Encouragement
Christmas is often painted as a season of joy, peace, and celebration - but for many women, it feels heavy instead. If you’re walking through grief, loneliness, disappointment, burnout, or overwhelm this Christmas, this episode is for you. In today’s conversation, Carla offers gentle encouragement for the Christian woman who is struggling, reminding her that God does not ask for emotional performance - He offers His presence. Together, we’ll explore how Christmas is not about perfection, but about Emmanuel - God with us - in the middle of our pain. You’ll be reminded that your struggle...
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S11.BONUS 3 | From Anxiety to Identity in Christ: Juliana’s Rooted & Resilient Transformation Story
Affirming Truths Podcast | Christian Mental Health, Encouragement
In this special bonus episode, Carla sits down with Juliana - a Rooted & Resilient graduate - to share an honest, Christ-centered conversation about healing, emotional resilience, and breaking generational patterns. Juliana opens up about her journey from overwhelming anxiety, perfectionism, and emotional shutdown to learning how to regulate her nervous system, rewrite lies with Scripture, and reconnect with God in a deeper way. She shares how discovering Affirming Truths at the perfect moment led her into a year of transformation through Carla’s programs, including Regulate Your Nervous...
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S11.17 | When Everything Goes Wrong: Recognizing Spiritual Warfare and Standing Firm
Affirming Truths Podcast | Christian Mental Health, Encouragement
In this raw episode, Carla opens up about the intense wave of challenges her family has faced - injuries, health scares, job loss, and even a basement flood - and how she has discerned that this season is more than coincidence. It’s spiritual warfare. Carla shares how Scripture frames the battle we face, how to recognize when the enemy is attacking, and the practical ways Christian women can stand firm, steady their minds, regulate their bodies, and anchor themselves in the victory of Christ. If you’re walking through a season that feels chaotic, heavy, or strangely targeted, this episode...
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S11.16 | The Joy of the Lord Is My Strength: How to Find Joy in Hard Seasons
Affirming Truths Podcast | Christian Mental Health, Encouragement
In this episode, Carla shares how she has been navigating a challenging season while many have asked how she continues to smile and show up with hope. Her answer is simple: it isn’t her strength - it’s the joy of the Lord. Together, we explore what Scripture truly means by “the joy of the Lord,” why biblical joy is different from positivity or denial, and how joy strengthens us on a spiritual and neurological level. You’ll also learn practical, faith-rooted tools to cultivate the joy of the Lord in your daily life, especially in seasons of uncertainty or emotional heaviness. If...
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S11.15 | Life Update
Affirming Truths Podcast | Christian Mental Health, Encouragement
In this update episode, Carla shares why she suddenly stepped away from the podcast these past few weeks - and how God has been meeting her in the middle of one of the most stretching seasons of her life. From her father’s dementia diagnosis, to family conflict, to her son’s emergency surgery and more, Carla opens up about the valleys she’s been walking through. But woven through it all is one theme: God’s unshakeable goodness. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin, or unsure how to trust God when life keeps piling on, this tender and faith-filled episode will remind you...
info_outlineIn this episode of Affirming Truths, Carla sits down with Amy Connell, host of the Graced Health Podcast, for a much-needed conversation about the intersection of mental health, nutrition, movement, and identity in Christ. Together, they address how deeply diet culture has shaped women’s relationship with their bodies - and how easily worth gets tangled up with the number on the scale, clothing size, and shifting cultural “ideals.”
From Carla’s nervous-system lens, they explore how things like under-eating, blood sugar swings, too much caffeine, poor sleep, and inactivity can shrink our window of tolerance - making emotional regulation harder than it needs to be. Amy offers practical guidance for balanced nutrition (without labeling foods “good” or “bad”), and explains why “fitness snacking” and small, consistent movement can be more beneficial - and more sustainable - than all-or-nothing workouts.
BIO:Amy Connell is a diet-culture-free personal trainer and certified nutrition coach who helps women move forward with grace and strength. She’s the host of the Graced Health Podcast, where she explores what it looks like to steward our bodies in a way that supports both physical and mental health—without tying worth to the scale. Amy is passionate about helping women feel and function well so they can do what they’re called to do, and she shares practical encouragement through her bi-weekly newsletter, Nourishing Notes.
Did you know that Carla is a Christian Mental Health coach? See if working with her is what you need in your current season. Book a discovery call today!
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