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284. 2025 Holiday Gift Guide: KO’s Top Picks

Turmeric and Tequila™

Release Date: 12/16/2025

296. Supplement 411: Protein, Collagen & Creatine with Jackie Miller show art 296. Supplement 411: Protein, Collagen & Creatine with Jackie Miller

Turmeric and Tequila™

“Most women aren’t underperforming—they’re under-fueled. Protein, collagen, and creatine aren’t extras… they’re essentials.” -Jackie Miller In this episode of Turmeric & Tequila™, Kristen Olson sits down with Jackie Miller—fitness professional, nutrition coach, and life coach—to break down one of the most misunderstood topics in women’s health: protein and supplementation. If you’ve ever felt confused about how much protein you actually need, or wondered whether collagen and creatine are worth it, this episode delivers simple, real-world clarity. Jackie cuts...

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295. Midlife Fitness, Hormones & Reinvention: Women 40+ Reignite Energy, Strength & Confidence | Heike Yates show art 295. Midlife Fitness, Hormones & Reinvention: Women 40+ Reignite Energy, Strength & Confidence | Heike Yates

Turmeric and Tequila™

“Your body isn’t broken in midlife—it’s asking for a new strategy, a new level of awareness, and a deeper kind of self-respect.” - Heike Yates In this episode of Turmeric & Tequila, Kristen Olson sits down with midlife fitness expert, author, and creator of the SPARK Framework, Heike Yates, to break down what reallychanges for women over 40—and how to adapt, thrive, and feel stronger than ever. With over 35 years of experience in fitness, nutrition, and mindset coaching, Heike shares powerful insights on navigating hormonal shifts, rebuilding sustainable routines, and...

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294. If You’re Not Seen & Heard, You’re Not Hired: Christine Blosdale show art 294. If You’re Not Seen & Heard, You’re Not Hired: Christine Blosdale

Turmeric and Tequila™

“If you’re not seen and heard, you’re not hired.” -Christine Blosdale In this episode of Turmeric & Tequila™, Kristen sits down with media expert, visibility strategist, and fellow podcaster Christine Blosdale for a powerful conversation on what it really takes to be seen, heard, and paid in today’s digital world. With over 25 years in media, marketing, and broadcasting, Christine shares how she helps entrepreneurs, authors, and thought leaders’ step into their authority—and stop being the best kept secret in their industry. From her early days as a shy child hiding...

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293. Introducing Turmeric & Tequila in 2 Minutes show art 293. Introducing Turmeric & Tequila in 2 Minutes

Turmeric and Tequila™

"We celebrate humans doing things their way, embracing the paradox, and showing that seemingly imposing ideas can harmoniously coexist even within ourselves." — Kristen Olson Welcome to Turmeric & Tequila, the podcast for varsity humans and trailblazers rewriting the rules and mastering the art of human optimization. Host Kristen Olson, a former Division 1 athlete, 5-time CrossFit Games competitor, and 20+ year entrepreneur in health and wellness, re-intro’s her groundbreaking podcast she launched over 8 years ago, dedicated to cutting-edge conversations about health, wellness,...

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292. The 5AM Squat Club: Discipline, Mental Health & Purpose show art 292. The 5AM Squat Club: Discipline, Mental Health & Purpose

Turmeric and Tequila™

"There is no such thing as neutral. You're either growing or you're dying. I was just lying to myself because I was not neutral—everything was going downhill. And right then and there I decided I needed to start working. I needed to make a change."  — Adam Phomin  Kristen Olson welcomes Adam Phomin, founder of the 5AM Squat Club and CrossFit Closer, to discuss fitness, mental health, community building, and the unconventional path from city-dwelling gym owner to regenerative farmer. In this episode: •Adam's journey from kinesiology student to discovering CrossFit in 2009...

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291. Weight Loss Redefined: GLP-1s vs. Bariatric Surgery and the $12M Bet on Compassionate Care with Dr. Betsy Dovec show art 291. Weight Loss Redefined: GLP-1s vs. Bariatric Surgery and the $12M Bet on Compassionate Care with Dr. Betsy Dovec

Turmeric and Tequila™

"I had enough respect for myself to say: No, I am the smartest person in the room on this one. Just because you label yourself a 'business person' doesn't mean I’m not an even better one. I’m going to burn it all down to build it up stronger." — Dr. Betsy Dovec Is willpower actually the problem, or is it biological warfare? In this episode of Turmeric & Tequila™, Kristen Olson sits down with Dr. Betsy Dovec, the world’s #1 female bariatric surgeon and a radical disruptor in the healthcare space. Dr. Dovec shares the gut-wrenching (and inspiring) story of leaving a secure...

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290. Small Business, Large Visibility: Real Marketing That Actually Works show art 290. Small Business, Large Visibility: Real Marketing That Actually Works

Turmeric and Tequila™

“Visibility isn’t about a huge marketing budget — it’s about strategy, consistency, and showing up where your community already is.” -Kristen Olson Small businesses don’t need massive marketing budgets to get noticed — they need the right strategy. In this solo episode of Turmeric & Tequila, host Kristen Olson breaks down practical, no-fluff marketing strategies that entrepreneurs and local businesses can implement immediately to increase visibility, attract customers, and grow their brand. Drawing from 20+ years as an entrepreneur, brand partner, and athlete, Kristen...

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289. Grounding for Athletic Performance & Recovery: How Earthing Improves Sleep, Energy, and Training Results show art 289. Grounding for Athletic Performance & Recovery: How Earthing Improves Sleep, Energy, and Training Results

Turmeric and Tequila™

"The Earth is negatively charged, and there's energy coming up through the Earth. Our bodies are positively charged, and when the negative ions from the earth come up into our body, it reduces free radicals and it reduces inflammation. When you're sleeping on grounding sheets, it's literally like standing barefoot on the grass—you get all those benefits." — James McWhinney, Founder & CEO, Premium Grounding In this episode of Turmeric & Tequila, Kristen Olson sits down with James McWhinney, founder and CEO of Premium Grounding, to discuss the science of earthing, human...

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288. Women's Health & Fasting: Perimenopause, Menopause & Hormonal Optimization with VP at ProLon, Renee Fitton show art 288. Women's Health & Fasting: Perimenopause, Menopause & Hormonal Optimization with VP at ProLon, Renee Fitton

Turmeric and Tequila™

"For women over 40, there is a lot we can do before we start or stop taking so many things. Get your hormones tested, understand your baseline, and then make decisions." — Renee Fitton In this episode of Turmeric & Tequila™, host Kristen Olson sits down with Renee Fitton, Vice President of Healthcare and Sales at ProLon, to unpack the often-overlooked but critical topic of women's health. From perimenopause to menopause, Renee shares her evidence-based approach to hormonal optimization and the science behind fasting mimicking diets (FMD). This conversation goes beyond surface-level...

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287. Breathwork, Frequency & Healing: How Love Tuner Is Changing Mental Health & Nervous System Regulation show art 287. Breathwork, Frequency & Healing: How Love Tuner Is Changing Mental Health & Nervous System Regulation

Turmeric and Tequila™

“Your breath is the remote control to your nervous system — and when you regulate your breath, you regulate your life.” -Sigmar What if the most powerful healing tool you have… is your breath? In this episode of Turmeric & Tequila™, Kristen sits down with Sigmar Berg, founder of Love Tuner, to explore how breath, frequency, and nervous system regulation can transform mental health and performance. After navigating his own experience with trauma and stress-related health challenges, Sigmar became deeply committed to creating accessible healing tools. The result: Love Tuner,...

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More Episodes

“Don’t just give stuff—give gifts that elevate people, spark joy, build skills, and align with your values.”


— Kristen Olson

Welcome to the first annual KO’s Favorite Things Holiday Gift Guide — a curated, mission-driven list of wellness, fitness, lifestyle, and mindset gifts that KO personally uses, loves, and endorses (not paid ads!). In this episode, Kristen breaks down her top intentional gift ideas across fitness, recovery, skincare, nutrition, mindfulness, local Colorado businesses, and more.

This guide focuses on purposeful, meaningful gifting—supporting mission-driven brands, investing in yourself, and elevating the people you love with items and experiences that spark wellness, confidence, community, and joy.

Featuring:

-Local Colorado gems
-Small businesses
-Female founders, veteran-owned brands & mission-led creators
-Fitness & recovery staples KO uses every week
-Mental health & self-regulation tools
-Coaching & personal development gift ideas

Whether you're shopping for family, friends, athletes, entrepreneurs, parents, your CrossFit crew… or yourself — this episode delivers intentional, values-based gift inspiration for 2025 and beyond.

LINKS TO ALL FEATURED COMPANIES (AND DISCOUNTS) HERE:)

TimeStamps:

00:00 – Turmeric & Tequila show intro + music
00:31 – KO welcomes you + introduces “KO’s Favorite Things” / Holiday Gift Guide
01:07 – Why intentional, mission-driven gifting matters (supporting local + values-based brands)
02:43 – How the list works (quick, tight list – not Oprah-level, price ranges, everyday-use items)

03:00 – Gift A: Colorado Clownfish Swim School – life skills through sports, drowning prevention, private lesson packages, Black Friday/year-long options
05:11 – Gift B: Declan James Watches – Navy SEAL–inspired, legacy brand, donation to Navy SEAL Foundation, KO’s dad’s retirement watch
06:40 – Gift C: Legion Athletics – why KO finally chose a supplement partner, science-backed formulas, KO’s KOFIT code, protein/recharge/pre-workout bundles

07:44 – Gift D: Anaconda Braces – jiu-jitsu–born functional braces KO uses for CrossFit, ACL history, sizing tips & durability
09:34 – Gift E: NutriLax Fiber – gut health, microbiome support, travel staple, staying regular & full, wellness routines

11:09 – Gift F: Element 26 – grips, belts, accessories; why quality gear matters in training & competition
12:40 – Gift G: KO’s Amazon Storefront – curated list of everything KO really uses (home, beauty, fitness, dog, hot tub life)

13:49 – Gift H: KO Alliance Performance Coaching – coaching spots opening for 2026, goal-setting, core values, varsity human training
15:48 – Gift I: AAFE Aesthetics (Kaitlyn) – science-based aesthetics, microneedling, Botox, peels, feeling refreshed going into the new year

17:01 – Gift J: Bladium CrossFit – KO’s home gym, community pillar, memberships, intro classes, CrossFit myths, why community matters
18:28 – Gift K: Love Tuner – breathwork & 528hz meditation device KO uses on dog walks, nervous system regulation, mental health tool
19:11 – Gift L: Jackie Miller Nutrition Coaching – KO’s only nutrition coach, whole-human approach, January programs, leveling up nutrition

20:00 – KO on not “just giving stuff”: gifts that build skills, spark joy, support health, wellness, community & values
20:55 – Listener CTA: share fave holiday workouts, foods, wellness hacks & best gifts + episode wrap

Kristen M. Olson (“KO”) is a performance coach, entrepreneur, 5x CrossFit Games athlete, and host of the Turmeric & Tequila™ podcast—ranked in the top 2% globally. A lifelong leader and former Division-1 athlete, KO brings her signature blend of grit, humor, and “varsity human” energy to every space she steps into. She’s the Founder of KO Alliance, a culture-marketing and strategic partnership consultancy and pup mom of 3! Her mission: empower mission-driven humans to question a better way, build community, and show up as their whole, authentic selves. @madonnashero @koalliance @turmerictequila

Connect with T&T:

IG: @TurmericTequila

Facebook: @TurmericAndTequila

Website: www.TurmericAndTequila.com

Host: Kristen Olson

IG: @Madonnashero

Tik Tok: @Madonnashero

Website: www.KOAlliance.com

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