Food Psych - Intuitive Eating, Health At Every Size, Positive Body Image, Eating Disorder Recovery, Smashing Diet Culture

Marketing strategist and copywriter Maggie Frank-Hsu joins us to discuss her eating-disorder experience and recovery, how pregnancy and parenthood changed her relationship with food and her body, how contradicting societal ideals oppress women and femmes, working at a food magazine while struggling with disordered eating, giving yourself permission to live in your truth, and so much more. Plus, Christy answers a listener question about how to reconcile the idea of having “thin privilege” when you’ve been criticized about your weight by an abusive parent. (This episode originally aired on March 9, 2020.) Maggie is an email marketing strategist and copywriter who works with moms who are online entrepreneurs. She specializes in helping moms reclaim their identities separate from their children. Clients hire her when they want to increase their revenue from selling online courses and programs, and step away from having to charge by the hour for their services. Maggie has spent her entire career seizing audiences&

Writer and feminist marketing consultant Kelly Diels joins us to discuss the links between diet culture, patriarchy, and anti-feminist marketing practices (aka The Female Lifestyle Empowerment Brand); the role of abundance in healing from diet culture; how to reclaim your life from The Life Thief; understanding and healing our relationship with money; and so much more! Plus, Christy answers a listener question about what to do if you’re one of those weight-loss “success stories” who’s actually just in the throes of disordered eating. (This episode originally aired on April 15, 2019.) Kelly Diels (she/her) is a writer and feminist marketing consultant. She writes about a phenomenon that she calls "The Female Lifestyle Empowerment Brand," which she does not think is a good thing for women or our world. Kelly believes, instead, that we are culture makers and can create the culture we want to live in, right now. Kelly is also the Director of Marketing and Communications for SheEO (all opinions are her own

Eating-disorder therapist and style blogger Shira Rosenbluth joins us to discuss how diet culture steals our money through the high cost and low effectiveness of eating-disorder treatment, why she decided to share her story as a therapist recovering from an eating disorder, fatphobia in eating-disorder treatment centers and its effect on recovery, eating disorders as a form of trauma, and so much more. Plus, Christy answers a listener question about how meal preparation can fit in with intuitive eating. (This episode originally aired on December 2, 2019.) Shira Rosenbluth, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker in New York City. She has a passion for helping people feel their best in their body at any size and specializes in the treatment of disordered eating, eating disorders, and body-image dissatisfaction using a weight-neutral approach. She’s also the author of TheShiraRose.com, a popular body-positive style blog that’s been featured in Verily Magazine, The Everygirl, Glam, and laurenconrad.com. You c

Non-diet dietitian Cara Harbstreet joins us to discuss hypothalamic amenorrhea and the lack of adequate care in conventional and alternative health, the normalization of diet-culture thoughts and behaviors in collegiate athletics and dietetics education, why thin privilege and other privileges don’t necessarily protect a person from internalizing body shame, why you don’t have to engage in or value movement or health, and so much more! Plus, Christy answers a listener question about whether weight loss is necessary for conception and pregnancy. (This episode originally aired on January 21, 2019.) Cara Harbstreet is a Kansas City-based non-diet dietitian. She's the owner of Street Smart Nutrition, a food blog that celebrates fearlessly nourishing meals and explores food-related topics. She's also the founder of Libre Connections, a digital platform that connects clients to HAES-informed dietitians for virtual coaching services. Her mission is to provide greater access to the support so many of us need

Comedian, author, and fellow podcaster Sofie Hagen joins us to discuss her new book, Happy Fat; how fatphobia affects people of all sizes; why health isn’t a matter of individual responsibility (and why framing it as one is oppressive); how science often gets twisted by diet culture and the media, and so much more! Plus, Christy answers a listener question about how to define “health” outside of diet culture. (This episode originally aired on April 29, 2019.) Sofie Hagen is a stand-up comedian, author, podcaster, fat activist and blogger. A modern legend in her native Denmark, Sofie burst onto the British comedy scene by winning Best Newcomer at Edinburgh Festival 2015. Her 2016 follow-up, Shimmer Shatter, was a second total sell-out, which followed again with another sellout show in 2017, Dead Baby Frog. Sofie has spoken to millions as host of her successful Made of Human podcast, as well as Secret Dinosaur Cult and Comedians Telling Stuff. Her first book, Happy Fat, is published in the UK by 4th Estate on M

Anti Diet Riot Club founder Becky Young joins us to discuss how diet culture intersects with other forms of oppression, how to respond to people who push back against the anti-diet message, why anger is important in eating-disorder recovery, how unconditional permission to eat can free your mind to focus on things other than food, and so much more. Plus, Christy answers a listener question about the definition of the term "people in larger bodies." (This episode originally aired on January 6, 2020.) After almost 12 years of dieting, Becky Young gave it up for good in 2016 and founded the Anti Diet Riot Club with the intention to host support groups and meet-ups in London for people wanting to do the same. Now the project has grown into a massive online community and hosts panel discussions, creative workshops, and fashion fairs to empower people struggling with low body image. They recently crowdfunded to build the Anti Diet Riot Bus to take their workshops on the road across the UK. Find her online a

Activist and scholar Jeff Iovannone joins us to discuss diet culture and harmful body standards in the gay community, how oppression and the AIDS crisis shaped the “normate gay” aesthetic, why every body is a Pride body, how to create a gay men’s body-liberation movement, and so much more! Plus, Christy answers a listener question about fatphobia in eating-disorder treatment programs. (This episode was originally published on June 24, 2019.) Jeff Iovannone is an activist-scholar, writer, and researcher from Buffalo, New York who specializes in gender and LGBTQ studies. He is the creator of the blog Queer History for the People, writes a bi-weekly column--entitled Talk Queerly--on LGBTQ culture and politics for the web magazine Th-Ink Queerly, and is a founding member of Body Liberated Buffalo, a volunteer-run activist and advocacy organization that works for body liberation in Western New York. Find him online at medium.com/@jeffry.iovannone. Subscribe to our newsletter, Food Psych Weekly, to keep getting new

Eating-disorders psychologist Lauren Muhlheim joins us to discuss how we can model a peaceful relationship with food for the kids in our lives, the problem with “childhood obesity” interventions, how some eating-disorder-treatment methods are being co-opted for weight loss, the rise of orthorexia, weight bias in medicine and the eating-disorders field, and so much more! Plus, Christy answers a listener question about the Biggest Loser reboot. (This episode was originally published on June 3, 2019.) Lauren Muhlheim, Psy.D., FAED, CEDS is a psychologist, certified eating disorder specialist (CEDS), and IAEDP (International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals) - approved supervisor who provides evidence-based treatment for eating disorders in the outpatient setting. She directs Eating Disorder Therapy LA in Los Angeles and is able to provide teletherapy in California and New York. She provides cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for adults and family-based treatment (FBT) for adolescents and adheres to H

Writer and social-justice lawyer Savala Trepczynski joins us to discuss how she stopped a lifetime of dieting and started decolonizing her relationship with food, why pathologizing emotional eating is problematic, how fatphobia shows up even in social-justice-oriented communities, why there’s so little legal protection for discrimination based on body size, and so much more! Plus, Christy answers a listener question about food planning for long hiking trips and how calorie counting can contribute to bingeing. (This episode was originally published on April 1, 2019.) Savala Trepczynski is a writer, teacher, and social justice attorney. She is the Executive Director of the Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice at UC Berkeley School of Law, convening scholars, activists, lawyers, and community members at the best public law school in the country to tackle social justice problems. Savala and her writing about race, gender, bodies and culture have been featured in/on NPR, Forbes, Bust, The Nation, Detroit

Fellow anti-diet dietitian and certified intuitive eating counselor Alissa Rumsey shares her experience with intuitive eating personally and professionally, how adopting a Health At Every Size® approach shifted her work with food companies, how stopping exercise helped her examine her relationship with movement and with her body, what she learned when she stopped wearing makeup, and so much more! (This episode was originally published on November 4, 2019.) Alissa Rumsey MS, RD, CDN, CSCS is a New York City-based registered dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor who is passionate about empowering women to reclaim the space to eat and live unapologetically. She is the founder of Alissa Rumsey Nutrition and Wellness, a weight-inclusive private practice that specializes in intuitive eating, body acceptance and disordered eating recovery. Her philosophy is rooted in the anti-diet and Health at Every Size (HAES®) framework, as she believes true health comes from nurturing behaviors to enhance physical,

Mental-health counselor and fellow podcaster Tiffany Roe joins us to discuss how diet culture paints false pictures of what health and eating disorders “look like”; the connections between religion, shame, diet culture, and eating-disorder recovery; why we need to fight fatphobia in the eating-disorder-treatment field; why even therapists have internalized stigma about mental illness and treatment, and so much more! Plus, Christy answers a listener question about how navigating emotional eating fits into the intuitive eating process. (This episode originally aired on March 11, 2019.) Tiffany Roe is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, psychology teacher, speaker, podcast host, & the owner of Mindful Counseling in Orem, Utah. She passionately helps her clients remember they are enough. Tiffany has focused her career on treatment for women navigating disordered eating, poor body image, poor relationships with themselves and food, anxiety, life transitions, and low self-worth. Tiffany personally surv

Non-diet dietitian, certified intuitive eating counselor, and author Jenna Hollenstein returns to discuss her new book, Eat to Love: A Mindful Guide to Transforming Your Relationship with Food, Body, and Life, the role of self-compassion and non-judgment in recovery, how to rebuild trust in your body and inner wisdom, the importance of having enough, and so much more! Plus, Christy answers a listener question about whether or not you need to cut out certain foods for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. (This episode was originally published on February 18, 2019.) Jenna Hollenstein, MS, RDN, CDN, is a non-diet dietitian who helps people struggling with chronic dieting, disordered eating, and eating disorders. She uses a combination of Intuitive Eating, mindfulness techniques, and meditation to help her clients move toward greater peace, health, and wellness. Jenna’s private practice is located at 750 Lexington Avenue in New York City where she consults with clients in person and virtually. Jenna is a Registered Dietitian

Fellow anti-diet dietitian and friend of the pod Kimmie Singh joins us to discuss her experiences being diagnosed and living with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), fatphobia and racism in healthcare and dietetics training, how reframing beauty ideals helped in her eating-disorder recovery, why eating-disorder providers need to talk to their clients about fatphobia, and so much more! Plus, Christy answers a listener question about how to get schools to stop teaching disordered-eating behaviors to kids. (This episode was originally published on November 18, 2019.) Kimmie Singh is a fat Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist based in New York City. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Physics from St. John’s University, her Master of Science in Nutrition at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and her Dietetic Internship from The City University of New York-Hunter College. Kimmie is an associate at LK Nutrition, a Health at Every Size private practice that supports people to heal their relationships

Fellow anti-diet dietitian Amee Severson joins us to discuss why intuitive eating is NOT a weight-loss plan, her experiences as a fat dietitian, how she moved from the weight-management paradigm to Health At Every Size®, the social-justice side of HAES and intuitive eating, how social media can be helpful and harmful in recovering from diet culture, and so much more! Plus, Christy answers a listener question about what to do if your hunger cues are absent. (This episode was originally published on October 14, 2019.) Amee Severson is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in Bellingham WA whose work focuses on body positivity, fat acceptance, and intuitive eating through a social-justice lens. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Food and Nutrition from Montana State University, is completing her Master's in Professional Practice in Dietetics from Iowa State University, is a dietitian registered in the State of Washington, and is currently working toward becoming a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor and a C

Fellow anti-diet dietitian and podcaster Kirsten Ackerman joins us to discuss how diet culture steals our time and energy, why intuitive eating is the default mode (and how diet culture robs us of that innate skill set), how to recognize true self-care versus diet culture’s version, why there’s so much unchecked privilege in weight-loss marketing, and so much more! Plus, Christy answers a listener question about how to avoid falling into restrictive eating and diet-culture thinking when you have a genuine medical condition like celiac disease. (This episode was originally published on November 25, 2019.) Kirsten Ackerman is a Fat-Positive Registered Dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. She practices from a Health at Every Size® approach and works with clients to help them heal their relationship to food and body in order to support them in living full and meaningful lives. Find her online at TheIntuitive-RD.com. Subscribe to our newsletter, Food Psych Weekly, to keep getting new weekly Q&As

Comedian, fat-positive activist, and fellow podcaster Jana Schmieding joins us to discuss using comedy to call out diet culture, why there needs to be more Native representation in the media, how Western values contribute to oppression and ill health, how diet culture’s demonization of emotional eating causes additional distress, and so much more. Plus, Christy answers a listener question about whether cultural changes over the centuries have influenced average body sizes. (This episode was originally published on January 20, 2020.) Jana Schmieding is a Lakota Sioux comedian, writer, performer and educator currently living and working in Los Angeles. Jana puts a lot of focus into her creative work and advocacy as the host and producer of the podcast and accompanying live show, Woman of Size where brilliant people discuss weight stigma, fat acceptance and marginalized cultures. She's currently working on screenwriting and publishing essays that revolve around moving the needle on Native representation in m

Psychotherapist and fellow certified intuitive eating counselor Devinia Noel joins us to discuss how her work as a therapist influenced her own process of re-learning intuitive eating, why using food as a coping skill isn’t a bad thing, how diet culture creates shame, the need for diversity among intuitive-eating counselors, and so much more! Plus, Christy answers a listener question about what to do if you get a diagnosis of pre-diabetes. (This episode was originally published on July 8, 2019.) Devinia Noel is a cognitive-behavioural psychotherapist and certified intuitive eating counsellor. She believes in a health at every size paradigm and a weight-neutral approach. Her mission is to create a safe diverse intersectional space for all individuals to develop peace with food and their bodies. Devinia is passionate about making non-diet spaces more diverse by sharing her experiences as a black woman previously trapped by diet culture. She also works in the community as a cognitive behavioural psychotherapist

Fellow anti-diet dietitian and certified intuitive eating counselor Katherine Metzelaar joins us to discuss orthorexia within the health-and-wellness field, the cultural shift that made it cool to eliminate foods, mourning the loss of community and connection when you stop dieting, why growing up with a peaceful relationship with food doesn’t guarantee a lifetime of immunity against diet culture, and so much more. Plus, Christy answers a listener question about how to deal with physical discomfort like thigh chafing and waistbands digging into your belly. (This episode was originally published on July 22, 2019.) Katherine Metzelaar, MSN, RDN, CD is a Seattle-based Dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor who is passionate about inclusive healthcare for all bodies. She is the owner and founder of Bravespace Nutrition, a private nutrition practice that helps women, both virtually and in-person, to create peace with food and their body free from rules, dieting, and perfectionism. Through the use of a c

In this final episode before our hiatus, Christy shares some parting words and resources for ongoing support—including the Food Psych Weekly newsletter, an advice column on how to make peace with food and your body, heal from disordered eating and diet culture, and reclaim your life for bigger and better things. Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, CEDRD is an anti-diet registered dietitian nutritionist, certified intuitive eating counselor, certified eating disorders registered dietitian, and journalist. She’s the author of Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating (Little, Brown Spark 2019), and her second book, Rethinking Wellness, will be published by the same imprint in 2023. Since 2013 Christy has hosted Food Psych, a weekly podcast exploring people’s relationships with food and paths to body liberation. It’s been one of Apple’s top 100 Health podcasts for the past 5 years, reaching tens of thousands of listeners worldwide each week. In addition to her media work, Chr

Eating psychology coach and body image mentor Lu Uhrich joins us to discuss how a cancer scare and chronic illness in the family made her fall prey to the Wellness Diet, how to get your period back if you’ve lost it, why it’s so easy to tumble into disordered eating with just one diet or exercise program, the process of leaving a religion and reimagining your faith, and so much more. Lu Uhrich is a Certified Eating Psychology Coach and Body Image Mentor. Using a Health at Every Size®, Anti-Diet approach, Lu supports clients in finding food freedom, befriending their bodies and moving on with their lives. Through self-awareness and compassion, she’ll guide you to deconstruct diet mentality and give you plenty of resources and insight to call bullshit on fatphobia and diet culture, too—all for the sake of redefining your relationship with food, body, and self. Lu provides the tools, teaching, and support necessary to make a loving and lasting change—in your own time and on your own terms. She leads clients in p