The Catholic Woman Podcast

What if the distractions pulling you away from your life aren't just bad habits but symptoms of something deeper? In this mic swap episode, Marie Hanson shares a raw, vulnerable conversation from the Thriving in the Space Between podcast that will make you rethink how you're spending your attention, your money, and your moments.

In this episode, we cover:
- What a near-death experience after childbirth taught Marie about living on autopilot and the wake-up call that changed everything
- Why distraction isn't just a technology problem; it quietly shows up in your finances, your relationships, and your prayer life too
- The "roadblock" strategy that breaks autopilot habits without relying on willpower alone even when you're exhausted and overwhelmed
- How Marie and her husband paid off debt scorched-earth style with a newborn and toddler at home and the exact systems they still use today
- The deeply painful regret of missing her last chance to see her grandfather and what it taught her about letting her yes mean yes
- What true presence actually means from a Catholic perspective: being so attuned to God that you can hear His voice even in your most chaotic days
- Why silence feels deafening and why that discomfort is actually pointing you toward something important
- The simple phone habits Marie put in place that finally helped her stop mindless scrolling for good
- Why women in the "in-between" seasons of life are especially susceptible to distraction and how to thrive right where you are
- How going to Adoration regularly transformed Marie's interior life and gave her the courage to say yes to what God was calling her to

Connect with the Thriving in the Space Between Podcast:
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6xTorQrSlbq7gJUbdI8B97?si=65ab5b1f07b94300
Newsletter: https://theintentionalsingle.myflodesk.com/tis-waitlist
Website: https://www.theintentionalsingle.com/

The Catholic Woman Podcast:
Presence Texts: https://catholicwoman.co/presenceNewsletter/
Show Notifications: https://catholicwoman.co/newsletter
Substack: https://substack.com/@thecatholicwoman
Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/share/g/1GeKDTt7WA/
Website: https://catholicwoman.co
Instagram: https://instagram.com/@thecatholicwomanpodcast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheCatholicWomanPodcast

Thank you to our show sponsors!
North Idaho Tallow — northidahotallow.com | Code: MARIE10 for 10% off
Party Like a Saint — https://partylikeasaint.com
Happy Nest Home Goods — https://happynesthomegoods.com | Code: CATHOLICWOMAN for 10% off

If this episode blessed you, please rate, review, and subscribe...it's one of the simplest ways to help more Catholic women find encouragement and truth.

EPISODE KEYWORDS (SEO):
Breaking the distraction cycle
Practicing the presence of God
Catholic women and technology
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Catholic mindfulness
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Hearing God's voice in everyday life
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If you're a single Catholic woman wondering why no one is asking you out, or you're dating someone and you're not sure if he's actually marriage material, this episode is going to be a game-changer. Catholic therapist, relationship coach, and author Dana Nygaard is not here to sugarcoat it. She's here to help you stop wasting your time and start dating with clarity, confidence, and faith.
In this episode, we discuss:
Why so many Catholic men aren't directly asking women on dates and what you can do to become more approachable without compromising your femininity

The difference between "hanging out" and being genuinely pursued, and how to call it out with confidence (and a little flirting)

Why leading with "boss babe" energy is actually a turnoff and what to lead with instead

Whether you should date a non-Catholic and the real risks Dana sees play out in marriages with faith differences, especially around NFP and baptizing children

The powerful advice from St. Ambrose to St. Monica that every woman married to a non-Catholic needs to hear

Dana's four pillars of trust — ability, integrity, benevolence, and consistency — and how to evaluate a man's character while you're dating

What emotional chastity actually looks like in practice and why sharing too much too fast puts you in danger

Why so many men in their 20s and 30s are stuck in immaturity and what parents can do right now to stop enabling it

How to bring up the pornography conversation in dating without shame and the warning signs that someone is not marriage-ready

Daily rituals of connection that keep marriages strong even in the busiest seasons of life

Connect with Dana Nygaard:
Website: https://clarityplease.com

Instagram: @dananygaard_lpc

Miss to Mrs's Program: https://dananygaard.com

The Catholic Woman Podcast:
Be present for your actual life…get 3 texts a week that change everything: https://catholicwoman.co/presence

Never miss a show! Get text or email updates - https://catholicwoman.co/newsletter

Check out The Catholic Woman on Substack - https://substack.com/@thecatholicwoman 

Join The Catholic Woman Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1GeKDTt7WA/

Watch full episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@TheCatholicWomanPodcast 

Visit: https://catholicwoman.co 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/thecatholicwomanpodcast 

Thank you to our show sponsors!
Chews Life — Catholic rosaries for every age and season | https://chewslife.com | Code: TCW15 for 15% off

Crux Invicta — Bold rosary bracelets for men | https://cruxinvicta.com | Code: TCW15 for 15% off

Party Like a Saint — Christ-centered sacrament celebration supplies | https://partylikeasaint.com

Happy Nest Home Goods — Catholic gifts, sacrifice beads & more | https://happynesthomegoods.com | Code: CATHOLICWOMAN for 10% off

If this episode blessed you, please rate, review, and subscribe…it's one of the simplest ways to help more Catholic women find encouragement and truth!

Food addiction isn’t simply a matter of willpower, and many women don’t realize how much the modern food system is working against them. In this episode, Marie Hanson sits down with Stephanie Mattrey to unpack the neuroscience of food addiction, the difference between eating disorders and addictive eating patterns, and how ultra-processed foods are engineered to keep us coming back for more.
They discuss how hidden sugars and refined ingredients affect the brain, why so many women feel trapped in cycles with food, and how faith, community, and practical habits can help break the cycle. Stephanie also shares compassionate insight for mothers trying to feed their families in a complicated food culture, and why healing your relationship with food begins with understanding, not shame.
In this episode, we discuss:
- The difference between food addiction and eating disorders
- Why ultra-processed foods can affect the brain like addictive substances
- How the food industry borrowed tactics from tobacco companies
- Why sugar and refined flours appear in so many packaged foods
- What to look for on ingredient labels (and what to avoid)
- A realistic approach to feeding kids healthy food without fear or perfectionism
- Thoughts on seed oils, food dyes, and processed ingredients
- The HALT method: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired
- Why emotional hunger often shows up as physical hunger
- How prayer can interrupt cravings and help rewire habits
- Why food addiction is not a moral failure
- The difference between food addiction and the sin of gluttony
- How community and faith support healing from disordered eating

Connect with Stephanie -
Website: https://www.shinerising.com/membership
Podcast: The Pulse Project Podcast - https://pulseproject25.podbean.com/

Resources & Links -
Join the $5 text program to live a more present life: https://catholicwoman.co/present
Subscribe on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TheCatholicWomanPodcast
Join Marie’s text community for episode updates and behind-the-scenes messages. Text “SHOW” to (561) 973-7646, or better yet, just click here to join: https://catholicwoman.co/newsletter 

Show Sponsors:
North Idaho Tallow - Use code MARIE10 for 10% off at https://www.idahotallow.com/
Party Like a Saint - Visit https://www.partylikeasaint.com/ to start planning your Sacrament celebration today.
Happy Nest Home Goods - Use code CATHOLICWOMAN for 10% off your order at https://www.happynesthomegoods.com/

If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend, sister, or mom who might need to hear this conversation. And if you’ve been enjoying the Catholic Woman Podcast, leaving a rating or review is one of the best ways to help more women discover the show.

SEO Keywords:
food addiction, Catholic podcast, eating disorders, ultra processed foods, emotional eating, food addiction recovery, women’s health, Catholic women, neuroscience of food addiction, gluttony, faith and healing, healthy habits, Stephanie Mattrey Shine Rising

If you’ve ever wondered how to care for your body without falling into diet culture…
If you’ve struggled with hormones, postpartum weight changes, disordered eating, or burnout…
If you know God made you good but don’t always feel that way…
This episode is for you.
Marie sits down with Florencia Moynihan (The Catholic Nutritionist) to talk about women’s hormone health, strength training, postpartum fitness, coffee dependence, food freedom, and why most health advice fails women.
They dive into what it actually looks like to integrate faith, nutrition, and fitness in a way that honors the female body, including fertility, motherhood, busy schedules, and long-term health.
You’ll learn why consistency beats intensity, why strength training matters more than endless cardio, and how to build habits rooted in identity, not shame.
Plus, yes…you’ll hear the story of Flo’s missing signed book from SEEK.
In this episode, we discuss:
The truth about women’s hormone health and why your fitness plan should reflect that you’re female

How Catholic women can pursue aesthetic goals without falling into vanity

Why strength training is essential for fat loss, muscle tone, and long-term health

Postpartum weight loss, fertility seasons, and realistic expectations for moms

How to stop the “start over Monday” cycle

Why most women quit health routines too early (and how to finally stick with one)

The role of identity in sustainable habit change

What to do if you feel like you don’t have time to work out

Flo’s FUEL Method for filtering health trends and conflicting advice

Coffee and energy: when it’s fine… and when it’s masking burnout

Healing your relationship with food after disordered eating

Connect with Flo
Instagram: @thecatholicnutritionist

Podcast: Made Good

Book: Made Good

Coaching Program: Made Good (Christ-centered women’s health transformation)  

Resources & Links
Subscribe to The Catholic Woman Podcast on YouTube 

Join the Catholic Woman Substack for deeper conversations beyond the podcast

Visit https://catholicwoman.co

Sponsors
BRDY Candles - Use code CWP10 for 10% off

Chews Life + Crux Invicta - Use code TCW15 for 15% off

BOMA USA (Billings Method) - Use code Catholic20 for the full Fertility 101 course and code Catholic5 for the one-time class

Sacred Heart Mental Wellness (Catherine DiNuzzo) - Use code CWP15 for 15% off

If this episode encouraged you, please share it with a friend, especially a woman navigating hormones, postpartum, body image, or burnout.
And don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube and leave a comment review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more Catholic women find conversations like this.

SEO Keywords:
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Holiness isn’t a highlight reel, and healing isn’t “just pray harder.” Licensed professional counselor and Catholic author/speaker Catherine DiNuzzo joins Marie to bring clarity to what trauma actually is (and isn’t), why so many women minimize their wounds, and how to move through pain without getting stuck in it. 
They talk about the pressure to “push through,” the lie of “I’m not enough,” how to stop bullying yourself internally, and why the saints’ lives were messier than the kids’ books make them look. Plus: what to do when the “trauma” is connected to your own past sins or mistakes, and how confession really does wipe the slate clean.
In this episode, we discuss:
Why trauma isn’t about “how bad it was,” but about how it impacted you

The trap of comparison: “It’s not as bad as hers, so I shouldn’t feel this”

How 2020–2022 exposed the limits of “just push through” culture

Holiness vs. perfection: why we strive now, and become “fully holy” in Heaven

The “both/and” life: you can be grateful and still be wounded

The quiet burden so many women carry: “I’m not enough”

A practical reframe: stop talking to yourself in a way you’d never talk to a friend

How wounds can become pathways to grace: surrender as a white flag, not a victory speech

Saints and suffering: what we miss when we only hear the “problem → Jesus → happy ending” version

When the trauma is tied to your own choices: forgiving yourself for what you didn’t know then

Mary Magdalene as a witness of mercy: your past doesn’t disqualify you from the cross

How to stop living with your “mouth barely above water” and learn to swim through life’s waves

Connect with Guest
Catherine DiNuzzo — Catholic speaker, author, and licensed professional counselor

The Catholic Guide Through Anxiety + companion workbook

Discount code: CWP15 for 15% off Catherine’s resources on her website

Resources & Links
Join the Facebook community: The Catholic Woman Facebook group

Watch on video: The Catholic Woman on YouTube

More episodes + resources: https://catholicwoman.co

For deeper discussions, subscribe on Substack

Bring Marie to speak at your event

Show Sponsors
BRDY Candles
Non-toxic, Scripture-tied candles designed to help you notice God in the everyday

Code: CWP10 for 10% off

BOMA USA (Billings Method) — Fertility 101 Course
Live intro class + private chart reviews with a certified instructor

Code: Catholic20 for the full course

Code: Catholic5 for the one-time class

Chews Life Rosaries + Crux Invicta
Silicone rosaries for kids, wearable rosary bracelets, and more

Code: TCW15 for 15% off on either site

If this episode hits close to home, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it with a friend, sister, or mom who’s been quietly carrying too much. And if you haven’t yet, please rate, review, and subscribe….it’s one of the simplest ways to help more Catholic women find the encouragement and tools they need.

SEO Keywords
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