Peace Meal

Latest Episodes:

Episode 89: Finding Direction in Recovery with Taylor Humphrey Dec 04, 2023

Episode description: Taylor Humphrey joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to recount her eating disorder experience and unpack the lessons she learned in recovery. Taylor’s story begins over a decade ago, when her concerns about maintaining her high level of athleticism drove her to form an obsession with “perfect” eating. Connecting with effective, age-appropriate treatment proved a struggle for Taylor and her family. The program she attended in early adolescence lacked proper eating disorder education, which led Taylor to feel disconnected, unsupported, and reluctant in her recovery. Taylor turned a corner between the ages of 16 and 18 upon connecting with new clinicians who expanded her perspective and made her feel seen and accepted. Today, confidently equipped with her toolbox of recovery skills, Taylor leverages the “gifts” of her struggles to provide direction to young people and their parents going through the treatment journey. Taylor Humphrey has been in eating disorder recovery for about ten years and has a passion for helping others who are struggling. She strives to spread eating disorder awareness—currently as a personal trainer and nutritionist, and previously as a coach for moms of daughters with eating disorders. She hopes someday to be an even bigger voice and advocate for recovery, as she feels blessed to be in her position and wants to show others the beauty of life in recovery and the strength they have within themselves. We cover: How adolescence can intensify treatment resistance The healing power of relationships between the client and their treatment team The challenges of maintaining recovery in a triggering home environment How leaning on your support system can improve your self-agency The need for firsthand guidance for families going through eating disorder treatment In Taylor's words: On how raising a young daughter helps sustain her recovery: “Having a young daughter is the biggest blessing and the most scary thing ever for me, going through this. My intention for her is for her to see her mom love herself…and I can’t do that if I’m not healthy. And I can’t do that if I’m slipping back into my eating disorder. I don’t want her to know that life. I want her to love herself and appreciate herself and everything that her body can do for her.” On the perspective shifts of recovery: “Society isn’t correct. Diets don’t work because that’s not what our bodies are meant to do… If you respect your body and love your body and accept it for who it is and why it was created, you’re going to have a much more fulfilling life… my eyes are open to another world of love and acceptance.” On what Taylor’s eating disorder experience gave her: “I [now] trust myself enough to be smart enough and good enough, to be an example to others, and to be a leader not a follower. I really do look at my eating disorder as a gift… I’ve learned so much from it—I’ve learned what I want and what I don’t want, who I am and who I’m not, what I like and what I don’t. And I’m okay with that, because of what I went through.” Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. – About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 88: Seeking Help for a Child’s Eating Disorder with Aronson Kagiliery Nov 06, 2023

Episode description: Aronson Kagiliery joins Peace Meal to share her family’s journey of finding the right eating disorder treatment for her teenage daughter with anorexia. After exploring local options, she shares, her family ultimately traveled to pursue care at Veritas Collaborative. Most helpful to Aronson’s experience at Veritas were parent programming and weekend sessions, which affirmed that her daughter’s eating disorder was not her fault. She then offers insight on prioritizing treatment above a child’s other commitments, as well as providing support outside of treatment by refusing to let the eating disorder rule. Reflecting on her daughter's treatment and recovery, Aronson reflects on the importance of self-care and attending to her own needs—something she wishes she had done more. She describes what gradual healing looked like for her daughter, including the signs she knew her daughter was getting better. In a particularly touching moment, Aronson recalls her daughter sharing that she has days where she doesn’t think once about her eating disorder, a reality they never imagined was possible. To close, Aronson graciously shares words of wisdom for other parents supporting a child with one of these illnesses. Aronson is a wife, super-mom, entrepreneur, and community advocate. She studied psychology at the University of Central Florida, which led to a successful career in marketing and management at her family's pizzerias and her husband's car dealerships. Today, Aronson's greatest role is as a supportive wife and mom to twin daughters, now college-aged. Aronson is committed to sharing her experience and knowledge to help other families of children with eating disorders. We cover: Why parents are not to blame for their child’s eating disorder The role of therapy and education for families with a child struggling with an eating disorder The importance of support for parents within the recovery space as they learn to balance caring for themselves while supporting their child How to prioritize recovery over a child’s other commitments, including school and extracurriculars Gradual signs of healing in the nonlinear process of eating disorder recovery In Aronson’s words: On her family’s experience with Veritas Collaborative: “I liked how I didn’t feel judged for being there. I felt like, ‘Hey, we are in this together.’” On self-care during her daughter’s treatment: “I would, knowing what I know now, take that hour and do what you need to be able to recharge so that you still have something left for everybody else.” On what recovery is for her daughter: “[My daughter said] ‘I have days it doesn’t even cross my mind.’ And that is what you’ve heard about, but don’t realize it’s possible. And then when you hear your child say, ‘I don’t think about it all the time,’ you’re like, ‘Okay, we’ve got this. We can do this.’” Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. – About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 87: The Importance of Individualizing Care with Madison Hanson Oct 02, 2023

**Content warning: This episode includes discussions around suicidal thinking and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Please use your discretion when listening and speak with your support system as needed. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, there are resources that can help. Contact the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by texting or calling 988. Episode description: In Episode 85 of Peace Meal, we heard from Holly Thorssen about her experience parenting her daughter Madison through an eating disorder. Today, we pass the microphone to Madison, who tells us her recovery story in her own words. Madison begins by recounting her life with an eating disorder. As is often the case, her illness was all-consuming, depleting her ability to be fully present, clouding her values and belief system, and offering a sense of false happiness. At age 12, Madison experienced a barrage of depressive symptoms, which she connects to the onset of her disordered eating. In the absence of healthy coping skills, Madison’s eating disorder numbed her inner pain and released the emotional pressure of her depression. Entering treatment at The Emily Program marked a shift in Madison’s recovery resistance. She emphasizes the impact of a whole-person care model and shares several takeaways from treatment that have been helpful to her healing. Reflecting on the adversities of her mental health journey, Madison explains why she’s fired up about enacting policy change that supports compassionate, individualized, evidence-based care so that no one feels hopeless about their mental health. Says Madison, “There’s always hope.” In addition to being Holly’s daughter, Madison Hanson is a senior at North Dakota State University, double majoring in social work and human development and family science. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in social work after graduation next spring. Madison’s specific interest lies in macro social work and advocacy for stronger mental health laws to protect those struggling with mental illness. Outside of school, she enjoys yoga, traveling, and spending time with her dog, Leo. We cover: The role of a co-occurring mental health diagnosis in potentially triggering and maintaining an eating disorder How to find separation between yourself and your eating disorder The challenging process of overcoming food fears The crucial work of protecting your healing and mental health in recovery The need for a paradigm shift in mental health services—specifically one that priorities individualized care In Madison's words: On the importance of a holistic, person-centered care model: “The Emily Program was actually the only place that incorporated the aspect of the whole person approach. I found that [approach] in the program very helpful… Accepting the help and support was a lot easier after I learned this whole other way of going about [treatment].” On protecting her recovery: “For me, it almost [requires] treating the eating disorder as an addiction. And when I say that, I mean I don't weigh myself at home anymore. I don't follow diet culture or buy diet products or any of that. I completely cut it out because there is no way of living half in the eating disorder and half out. It's kind of either all or nothing. And so by doing that, I don't have to think about it as much.” On imagining life in recovery: “I would ask that person to close their eyes and think about if they didn't have their eating disorder or their mental illness. What would your dream life be? … Just imagine this. And then I would ask them to open their eyes, and I would tell them, you know what? It's actually going to be ten times better than that. And I know you probably don't believe it right now, and you might not believe it tomorrow, but I promise you, if you take those first steps, (even if you don't believe them)... it's going to get easier, and it's going to get so much better.” Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling...

Episode 86: Attachment Styles and Eating Disorders with Kathryn Garland and Vanessa Scaringi Sep 11, 2023

Episode description: Kathryn Garland and Vanessa Scaringi join Peace Meal to discuss the connection between attachment styles and the development and maintenance of eating disorders. They first provide an overview of attachment theory, exploring how this framework can help us better understand the impact of early attachment experiences on our relationships with food and ourselves. Insecure attachment styles, they explain, are associated with eating disorders and can manifest in disordered behaviors and thoughts. Kathryn and Vanessa share how therapists can help clients address attachment-related issues and nurture secure connections with family and friends that support recovery. Kathryn and Vanessa also dive into the impact of the pandemic on our ability to connect with others, which in turn has played a role in exacerbating disordered eating behaviors. In addition, they explain how a relational approach to eating disorder care can complement other treatment modalities, including cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). They end the episode by stressing the importance of connection to good mental health and encouraging those in recovery to take the time they need to nurture their relationships, both with others and themselves. Kathryn Garland and Vanessa Scaringi are the co-owners of CALM Counseling in Austen, Texas. Kathryn is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Supervisor and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist. She has worked in community mental health, the foster care system, and eating disorder treatment, and is currently a field instructor for the Boston University School of Social Work. Vanessa is a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist Supervisor (CEDS-S), who has dedicated much of her career to working in the eating disorder field. We cover: How early attachment experiences impact our relationship with food, body, and self The relationship between attachment styles and eating disorders The impact of pandemic-related challenges on eating disorders How therapists can help people nurture the secure attachments that aid in recovery How a relational approach to therapy can complement other treatment modalities, including cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) In Kathryn and Vanessa’s words: Vanessa on the impact of attachment styles on relationships with food and body: “Your relationship with your caregivers and your attachment style is really symbolic of how you might interact with food and your body.” Kathryn on tailoring care to each client: “That's kind of the art of therapy, right?... Knowing when to kind of come in with a stronger approach or a kind of more gentle approach with people, depending on the client who comes in.” Vanessa on those who think recovery isn’t possible for them: “Go slow… The ability to improve attachments—that’s gonna take a while… So, go slow, not putting a lot of pressure on yourself, and making sure you find a team that works for you, that you can see yourself going slow with.” Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. - About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 85: Supporting a Child Through an Eating Disorder with Holly Thorssen Jul 31, 2023

Episode description: In this episode of Peace Meal, Holly Thorssen recounts her experience of mothering her daughter Madison through an eating disorder. Holly walks us through the course of Madison’s illness, noting the warning signs of Madison’s struggles with food and body, and sharing the family’s efforts to find a suitable treatment provider. Holly acknowledges the importance of building a supportive, judgment-free space when discussing eating concerns with a child – a space where your child can feel safe enough to disclose their emotions and struggles without fear or shame. In a poignant moment of reflection, Holly speaks on how she learned to differentiate Madison’s voice from the voice of the eating disorder, leading to a better understanding of Madison’s conflicting desire to get better while also resisting change. Connecting with The Emily Program’s family-oriented specialty care made all the difference for Holly and Madison, offering much-needed comfort and healing for both mother and daughter. Holly is a dedicated social worker and advocate for children's mental health. With 28 years of experience, including 21 years in children's mental health case management, Holly understands the challenges families face in accessing resources. Holly has two daughters and lives in rural northern Minnesota with her husband, Chad. In sharing her family's story of her daughter Madison's eating disorder, Holly aims to empower parents and let them know they are not alone in their struggles. We cover: How to reconcile missed warning signs as both a parent and professional in the mental health space The extent to which eating disorders can warp a child’s thought process The experience of navigating insurance coverage for treatment The importance of a holistic, family-centered approach to care How rewarding it is to see your child through the other side of their illness In Holly's words: On separating a child from their illness: “One day, Madison said something to me that was eye-opening, and I finally understood. She had said that there's days where the eating disorder is so loud that she can't tell what's her voice and what the eating disorder voice is…It gave me a better understanding and just how complex an eating disorder is.” On finding community at The Emily Program: “I like the family component of it, where I was able to come there for big group family meetings with the rest of the parents of kids that were there. It was just so comforting to know that I was with people who knew what it was like. I could listen to their stories and their experiences and just feel some kind of familiarity that I'm with my people.” On her advice to parents and families supporting a loved one with an eating disorder: “Don’t be ashamed. This isn’t something to hide… who cares what anybody else thinks? Just focus on your child and love them and reassure them that it's going to get better too, because sometimes when they're in that dark, low place, they can't necessarily see tomorrow. So you have to help paint a picture of what tomorrow can look like.” Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. - About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 84: Treating Binge Eating Disorder with Stacy Schilter Pisano Jul 10, 2023

Episode description: Stacy Schilter Pisano joins Peace Meal to shed light on the signs, symptoms, and complexities of binge eating disorder (BED), dispelling the myth that it is merely a matter of willpower. She describes the unique challenges facing those with BED, including misunderstandings about the illness, cultural stigma and shame related to overeating, marginalization in healthcare settings, and societal weight bias, particularly for those with BED who live in larger bodies. In light of these challenges, Stacy emphasizes the vital importance of treatment tailored to those affected by binge eating. Stacy then provides an overview of virtual CARE IOP, The Emily Program’s and Veritas Collaborative’s standalone program for those BED and OSFED with a pattern of binge eating. Informed by the expertise of eating disorder professionals and the lived experiences of previous clients struggling with binge eating, CARE IOP offers a supportive environment where individuals can connect with others who truly understand their unique intersectional experiences. Unlike mixed-diagnosis treatment settings that may leave them feeling isolated, CARE IOP provides tailored, comprehensive care that promotes safety and healing. Stacy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Washington and a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist. For nearly two decades, Stacy has helped individuals and families affected by body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, and clinical eating disorders. Since 2014, Stacy has been the director of The Emily Program’s South Sound location in Olympia, Washington. Within this role, she oversees a multidisciplinary team of providers offering PHP, IOP, OP, and FBT services. Stacy also developed and supervises The Emily Program’s and Veritas Collaborative’s virtual CARE IOP. We cover: The prevalence, signs, and symptoms of binge eating disorder (BED) The benefits of highly tailored care for those with BEDs Why and how The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative’s virtual CARE IOP program for BED was created to support those affected by binge eating The unique program components of CARE IOP, including curricula related to weight stigma, self-compassion, and attunement How providers and loved ones can support someone with BED In Stacy’s words: On common misunderstandings about BED: “In our culture, people are urged to take responsibility for their relationship with food. And in the case of binge or overeating, many people believe that stopping is a matter of willpower or ‘getting control’ of their eating. And for some, they believe that one of the 33,000 diets out there will be the answer… People don’t fully understand that binge eating disorder is a mental health condition, and behaviors are the outcome of that complex array of different variables.” On supporting a loved one with BED: “Binge eating disorder/binge eating behaviors are nobody’s fault. It wasn’t caused by any one particular thing and it’s not easy to overcome. So I think being able to just hold a lot of compassion as you’re interacting or engaging with somebody, or as you approach them in general.” On the complexity of BED: “You are not to blame. If you’ve tried hundreds of diets and each of them has failed, that’s the diet failing. 95-98% of diets fail. So it isn’t your fault… It is that complex interplay of biological, psychological, and environmental factors coming together in a perfect/imperfect storm.” Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. - About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.

Episode 83: Eating Disorders and Menopause with Val Schonberg May 01, 2023

Episode description: Val Schonberg joins Peace Meal to discuss eating disorders during menopause, an often-overlooked period of vulnerability for midlife individuals. She begins by explaining why this life stage carries an increased risk for disordered eating and eating disorders. Our cultural biases toward aging and weight are partially to blame, she says, which can lead providers to misdiagnose or completely miss disordered eating behaviors. To better serve midlife individuals during this vulnerable period, Val urges healthcare providers to re-evaluate their own beliefs about aging, weight, and menopause. She emphasizes that menopause is a natural phase of life and not a “disease” that must be “fixed,” as many problematic cultural messages suggest. Val ends the podcast by expressing her belief that everyone can recover – no matter their age – and that aging is a precious gift. Val Schonberg is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition science from the University of Minnesota. She is Board Certified as a Specialist in Sports Dietetics, a Certified Menopause Practitioner with the North American Menopause Society, and a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Val owns a private practice in Atlanta, Georgia, where she specializes in midlife health and menopause, recreational and professional sports nutrition, all types of eating disorders, and helping individuals break free from dieting and disordered eating. Originally from Minnesota, Val’s experience and expertise come from years of practice in many settings, including women’s health, eating disorder treatment, Division 1 college sports medicine, professional dance organizations, and speaking regionally and nationally on numerous nutrition-related topics. In addition to individual nutrition counseling, she is the consulting dietitian for Emory Sports Medicine and Orthopedics, Atlanta Ballet, and the Atlanta Dream WNBA team. Val is passionate about providing nutrition care to populations vulnerable to disordered eating and promoting positive nutrition messages that help people make informed decisions about their health and live a life where they are at peace in their relationship with food and their body. We cover: Why the transition to menopause can increase the risk for disordered eating and/or an eating disorder How all eating disorder diagnoses are prevalent in middle-aged individuals Why menopausal individuals need support with their mental health as well as their physical health How providers can better serve menopausal individuals with disordered eating and/or an eating disorder How the public opinion surrounding menopause must be changed to eliminate shame and stigma In Val’s words: On the importance of self-reflection when working with menopausal individuals: “All of us really need to recognize and challenge ageism and weight bias. And, you know, part of that is then being curious, really curious, about your own views about aging, weight, and menopause.” On supporting individuals who feel uncomfortable in their bodies: “Some of it is just validating, right? ‘This really sucks,’ instead of, ‘You just need to wake up and be positive about your body and just accept this.’ I am a big fan of body positivity and body acceptance and I do a lot of work with that, but the bridge to get to that space is…. just looking at it, validating it… sitting in the muck together.” On recovery and aging: “I really believe that recovery is possible for everyone… and that aging and growing older is one of the best gifts in life.” Visit EnlightenU Nutrition to learn about the services Val offers. You can also follow her on Instagram (@v.schonbergrd) and Twitter (@ValSchonberg). Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. – About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image,

Episode 82: No Longer Settling for “Fine” with Rebecca Amis Apr 03, 2023

Episode description: In this episode of Peace Meal, Rebecca Amis shares her story of recovery from a decades-long eating disorder. Rebecca first traces her path through illness and healing, disclosing the risk factors that may have contributed to her anorexia, as well as the intense life transitions and medical issues that prolonged the disorder and complicated her recovery. Loneliness is a common thread through Rebecca’s years of struggles. She shares that she felt invisible and sorely misunderstood by those around her, resulting in the urge to hole up with nothing but the false sense of comfort that her disorder provided. The prospect of following a meal plan and losing the rules and rituals of her eating disorder terrified Rebecca and initially kept her from pursuing treatment. With the encouragement of her support system, she courageously surrendered to help and experienced a profound “rebirth” of self on the other side of suffering. Rebecca is a 55-year-old woman who now finds joy and freedom and life after spending decades with an under-the-radar eating disorder. She resides in Southern California with her husband and enjoys travel, golf, skiing, napping, writing, and reading. She is writing a book entitled My Sweet Body: Memoirs of a Not So Daisied Life, hoping to touch those who have been affected by a long-term eating disorder. We cover: The intricate interplay of factors in the development of an eating disorder The pseudo-safety eating disorders seem to offer during life transitions Weighing the decision to seek help for an eating disorder How the act of surrendering can help sustain recovery In Rebecca's words: On the significance of treatment: “I stayed, and I ate, I completed my meals, and I met the most beautiful people on this earth. And it was the most meaningful experience – probably aside from having my children – the most meaningful experience I think I’ve ever had…it was magical.” On the most surprising parts of recovery: “The freedom and the joy. That has been huge. There aren’t any shackles. There are no more shackles. I’m not bound anymore. To look back and realize that for so many years, I had those shackles and knowing that freedom is now possible.” On advice to someone struggling and losing hope about recovery: “Try to surrender. Just try it… Try to trust the people that are wanting to help you. Lean on them. Use their trust for a little bit until you can trust yourself… Recovery is possible.” Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. - About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 81: Finding Your Wise Mind with Sarah Rzemieniak Mar 06, 2023

Episode description: This month’s Peace Meal guest is Sarah Rzemieniak, who brings multiple perspectives to a rich discussion about eating disorders, healing, and recovery coaching. Drawing from her personal experience and professional background in dietetics and coaching, Sarah begins by sharing some of the temperamental and social factors related to the development of her eating disorder. Though she sought help soon after her anorexia was recognized at age 13, Sarah acknowledges that her recovery was not without challenges and setbacks. She shares how meditation played an essential role during a particularly difficult relapse, helping her to get out of her head and ground herself in her body. Now an eating disorder recovery coach, Sarah uses her personal experience, education, and training to support clients in implementing the skills and tools learned in treatment into the “here and now” of their lives. Sarah ends the podcast by sharing her wishes for her young son’s relationship with himself and offering advice for people who feel like recovery is out of reach. Sarah is a Carolyn Costin Institute Certified eating disorder recovery coach, working in private practice as a coach since 2018, where she provides one-on-one recovery coaching to individuals worldwide. Before this, Sarah worked as an eating disorder dietitian until she realized her true passion was in the coaching and counseling aspect of the work. Sarah has her own lived experience of an eating disorder and considers herself fully recovered from anorexia nervosa. We cover: How certain temperament traits can contribute to the development of an eating disorder Why relapsing is common in eating disorder recovery and does not mean you have failed How weight-loss dieting can lead to recovery setbacks The power of meditation in recovery How recovery can fundamentally change the way you view yourself and your life In Sarah’s words: On the difficulty of breaking free from societal pressures: “For me, it didn’t feel like it was necessarily about the praise because I wasn’t getting praise anymore. I looked unwell. But still, there was this definite sense that [thinness] is something that society values and praises.” On meditation: “There’s something about starting to meditate that actually was quite transformative. …[I’m] in my head so much and just being so controlled by these rigid rules and anxieties. So [starting to mediate] actually was quite profound.” On how her relationship with herself changed in recovery: “I feel less run by fear. That’s a huge, huge difference.” You can connect with Sarah, learn about recovery coaching, and find resources for the recovery journey at her website, sarahrzemieniak.com. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. - About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 80: The Role of an Eating Disorder Nurse with Stacey Brown Feb 06, 2023

Episode description: Stacey Brown, RN, joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to reflect on the role of nursing in eating disorder care. She begins by acknowledging the lack of eating disorder education and training in nursing programs; it wasn’t until she began interacting with patients that she fully understood the impact of these illnesses on every body system. Stacey’s experiences have set her on a mission to speak to nurses at all levels about best practices when caring for patients with eating disorders, including developing strong emotional intelligence. She highlights the importance of every care team member and multidisciplinary collaboration to meet a patient’s full range of needs. The episode concludes with Stacey’s words of wisdom for the next generation of eating disorder nurses. Stacey serves as the Vice President of Nursing at Accanto Health, the parent company of The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative. Stacey practiced as an Intensive Care/Critical Care nurse, ER nurse, and Cardiac Cath Lab nurse for several years prior to working in the field of mental health. Since transitioning her nursing care into the world of eating disorders in 2007, Stacey has worked extensively in areas of utilization review management, nursing administration, and consulting. She is passionate about her work and loves helping nursing teams learn how to develop strong clinical and critical thinking skills that are based on best and safe practices. We cover: The power of a multidisciplinary, collaborative treatment team The importance of family/support system education How Stacey educates professionals in the field to challenge bias How eating disorder nurses help at all levels of care to ensure patients get the medical and emotional care they need How nurses can hold space for sitting with difficult emotions In Stacey’s words: On the nurse’s role in collaborative eating disorder care: “In our setting, one of the most important things that we learn [is] how to validate and also to redirect the client to the appropriate caregiver. It’s not my role to be their therapist. It’s not my role to overstep and try to be their dietitian. My role is to be their nurse, to address their medical needs, to be validating and listening and compassionate, but also know when to redirect back to other care providers.” On her passion for eating disorder advocacy: “We have fought tooth and nail as a country to really provide effective treatment and coverage for people who have mental illness and eating disorders. And that is one of the things that drives me. That is not fair. That is not right. And I will stand up and advocate for people who are not treated appropriately. That’s what drives my passion.” On her advice to clinicians with lived eating disorder experience: “If it’s your personal experience with something that is driving your passion—awesome… That passion is going to take you a long way. And: Remember to separate yourself enough so that you are letting the client or the patient have their experience. Not your experience.” Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. - About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 79: Pregnancy and Postpartum Eating Disorders with Katie Gantt Dec 05, 2022

Episode description: Katie Gantt, MHS, RD, LDN, RYT, is a registered dietitian who has been working in the field of eating disorders and disordered eating for over five years. Katie is passionate about helping moms have a healthy pregnancy and postpartum period by finding health without dieting and challenging disordered eating patterns. She is the owner of Kathryn Gantt Nutrition where she uses her clinical expertise and yoga training to help moms reconnect with their bodies and their relationship to food in a positive, trauma-informed style. Katie focuses on mindful and intuitive eating, Health At Every Size (HAES), and non-diet approaches when counseling clients and helping parents raise intuitive eaters. Katie joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to discuss how pregnancy and postpartum can complicate or instigate an eating disorder. Offering a wealth of firsthand insights on this nuanced topic, Katie shares cultural and biological factors that make women susceptible to eating disorders during this period of life. She acknowledges the difficulty of speaking up when triggered by uncomfortable comments from providers, who may be unaware of their weight bias and their potential reinforcement of eating disorder behaviors. Katie then identifies practical tips for how providers can better serve these populations. Lastly, she acknowledges the beautiful potential for recovery-oriented body appreciation during pregnancy and postpartum. We cover: How pregnancy and postpartum are uniquely poised to impact those with a history of eating disorders or disordered eating The limited eating disorder training among OBs, and how this contributes to missed disordered eating behaviors during pregnancy Weight-neutral approaches to prenatal and postpartum healthcare How to manage gestational diabetes in a way that doesn’t contribute to disordered eating thoughts and behaviors How to hold space for body appreciation within pregnancy and postpartum In Katie’s words: On the lack of screening for disordered eating during pregnancy: “Over 90% of women are never screened for disordered eating in pregnancy, at all. So if you don’t provide that information or if you don’t yourself quite realize that you have a disordered relationship with food, it’s most likely never going to come up when you’re with your OB.” On the special considerations for pregnant or postpartum women in eating disorder recovery: “Statistically, if we have a history of an eating disorder regardless if it’s active or not in our pregnancy, there is a significantly higher risk of it recurring in the first year postpartum. And you couple that with women who have had a history of an eating disorder who have a 30% higher risk of developing postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety – that can be a really risky time for women.” On eating disorder recovery and body appreciation during pregnancy: “It’s not uncommon to see eating disorder remission during pregnancy. There’s this sense of, ‘this is kind of a cool thing that’s happening [to my body].’ For some of my clients, it’s the first time they have ever had body appreciation.” Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. - About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 21: Eating Disorders and the Holidays with Kezia Reeder Nov 30, 2022

Episode description: Kezia Reeder is a former Emily Program client and staff member, as well as a continual advocate for eating disorder recovery. In this episode of Peace Meal, she joins host Dr. Jillian Lampert to describe her holidays with an eating disorder. Kezia's insight is valuable not just for those currently struggling, but also for parents and others supporting loved ones who are. For those who celebrate, the holidays can be a hard time for individuals with eating disorders. Not only do Western holidays often center on food, but they also often bring stressors related to seeing people for the first time in a while. This year, as collective anxiety surrounding COVID-19, vaccinations, and variants lingers, the holidays may be especially challenging. Reflecting on holidays past with an eating disorder, our guest Kezia says she struggled at first without any outside support. She hid her disorder from family and friends, suffering in silence amid food- and body-related conversations and a lack of routine around meals. During her recovery, Kezia explains that she used trial and error to navigate the holidays successfully. The more present she was in treatment, she says, the more present she could be outside of it. With the help of her treatment team, she learned how to enlist family support—a key element to her recovery—develop a meal plan, and approach holiday food as just food. We cover: How to support a loved one with an eating disorder during the holiday season Why meal plans can be a useful tool during the holidays Why it's so important to not label holiday foods as "good" or "bad" Why support people are such an essential aspect of surviving the holidays In Kezia's words: On the holidays with an eating disorder: “I feel like I was constantly stressed from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve. It’s supposed to be a time of celebration and… in the United States, a lot of our celebration centers around gathering for a meal.” On navigating the holidays in eating disorder recovery: “Do what works for you, and there’s a lot of different ways that holidays can look successful with an eating disorder.” On the holidays without an eating disorder: “They’re awesome. They’re just a whole new level of awesome because I know how challenging they have been in the past. So there’s a lot that I appreciate about it now.” If you or your child are struggling with food this holiday season, The Emily Program can help. Learn more about treatment online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. https://www.emilyprogram.com/ — Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 78: Occupational Therapy and Eating Disorders with Maddie Duzyk Oct 31, 2022

Episode description: We begin this episode of Peace Meal with guest Maddie Duzyk describing her lived experience with anorexia as it compares to her life in recovery. Reflecting on the everyday impact of her eating disorder, she explains how the illness made it difficult to distinguish between her own values and those of her disorder. Fortunately, treatment and recovery have allowed her to find herself again and reconnect with her interests and roles separate from the illness she once mistook for herself. As an occupational therapist, Maddie now helps clients on their own recovery journey, including during the often difficult transition from higher levels of care to outpatient life. She shares with us her recent doctoral capstone, which explored the perceptions of social eating behaviors among adolescents with eating disorders, and provides suggestions for those supporting a person with an eating disorder during mealtimes. She ends the podcast by expressing her hope that one day clients and providers alike will recognize and employ occupational therapy as an additional resource in eating disorder recovery. Maddie is a pediatric occupational therapist who received her master's degree in occupational therapy from Spalding University in August 2018. In May 2022, she completed her post-professional doctorate at Eastern Kentucky University, with a capstone on social eating perspectives of adolescents with anorexia nervosa. In the eating disorder community, Maddie is an active member of Kentucky's Eating Disorder Council and was a member of the NEDA Walk Committee in Louisville, KY for two years. She has given several guest lectures on adolescent mental health, spoken at state-level occupational therapy conferences, and taught nationwide continuing education courses for medical professionals. We cover: The impact of an eating disorder on daily activities and occupations How recovery can reconnect you to personal values, goals, and roles How people with eating disorders experience social pressure while eating, including from those around them and from social media How to support people with eating disorders during shared meals and snacks The important role occupational therapists can play in eating disorder treatment and recovery In Maddie’s words: On life in recovery: “Life is so much more than just those numbers on a scale or those miles ran in a day. There’s just so much more beauty to be discovered outside of the eating disorder.” On her doctoral capstone on adolescent perceptions of social eating: “Common patterns… were the negative effect of social peer pressures and a lot of those pressures came from social media aspects.” On her vision for the future of occupational therapists (OT): “I would love for more of a concrete definition of OT’s role in treating eating disorders… and for providers and patients alike just to be familiar with occupational therapy as a resource––an additional resource, not something to take away from the great care that’s already available.” Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. - About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 77: A Collaborative Approach to Treatment with Beth Harrell Oct 03, 2022

Episode description: In this episode of Peace Meal, guest Beth Harrell, MS, RD, LD, CEDRD-S, discusses her experience in the eating disorder field, and reflects on how much eating disorder education and training has evolved since she got her start in the early 1990s. The bedrock of Beth’s career success is collaboration. She emphasizes the value of learning from clients’ lived experiences, as well as from the wisdom and vulnerability of fellow professionals. As a certified eating disorder supervisor, Beth debunks the notion that supervision is just case consultation. She guides from a place of mentorship and trauma-informed nutrition care, largely inspired by the perspective-broadening experiences she had with her own supervisors. Beth is a collaborative and weight-inclusive nutrition professional who has worked with eating disorders, disordered eating, and chronic dieting for the past 30 years. Her work spans all levels of care, treating a full spectrum of diagnoses and ages. Beth’s passions are anything that includes learning and teaching. She has an educational podcast for eating disorder professionals (The SeasonED RD) and carries this knowledge into professional supervision, as well as a graduate elective course for dietitians each fall semester. We cover: The evolution of the eating disorder field and eating disorder education The value of a multidisciplinary team approach to treatment How supervision benefits both clients and clinicians The importance of self-care in the eating disorder and mental health field, as well as tips for how professionals can tend to their needs Words of wisdom for new clinicians about working with eating disorders In Beth's words: On learning at our own pace: “Therapy works. Nutrition, all of that, it works. It’s maybe not on the timeline that we want it to work… We learn on our own time. We can hear something today that’s maybe the exact same thing we heard five years ago, but today, we can accept it.” On the importance of taking time for self-care: “I take a deep breath as part of my self-care… Because I need to be there and available for whatever [clients are] going to bring to me. Nothing is too much. And so, self-care is important for me by acknowledging it in the room.” On advice for new eating disorder clinicians: “Find your team to work with and keep learning. Your client is your best teacher.” You can listen to Beth’s podcast The SeasonED RD here! Learn more about Beth’s professional services and courses at her website (bethharrell.com) and follow her on Instagram (@beth.harrell.cedss). Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. - About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 76: Accepting Recovery with Avery Mock Sep 12, 2022

Episode description: In this episode of Peace Meal, guest Avery Mock discusses how a goal to “get healthy” spiraled into an obsession with food and exercise that led to anorexia. He describes how he was a different person at the height of his eating disorder, burning bridges with the closest people around him. Thankfully, Avery was able to get into treatment to start his journey to recovery. Structure and support have been key to protecting his mental and physical health, he says. In recovery, he has learned that food doesn't need to take up so much space in his brain and that clothing size does not define his worth. Now he doesn’t need—or want—to change his body to be happy. Avery ends the episode by giving advice to those struggling with eating disorders, encouraging them to accept recovery. Avery is an anorexia survivor and mental health advocate dedicated to helping people recognize the warning signs of eating disorders and help others in recovery. We cover: The damaging impact of eating disorders on relationships, and the value of rebuilding these relationships in recovery How recovery can make you realize that there is so much more to life than the food you eat The importance of routine and stability in recovery How the size of your clothing doesn’t define your worth Why setbacks are normal in eating disorder recovery, as well as strategies for how to handle them In Avery’s words: On letting go of an eating disorder: “It can be hard to want to learn how to control [your eating disorder] when it’s been in your life for so long. Learning how to accept the fact that it does need to be controlled is really, really difficult, but I don’t regret in the slightest ever going to Veritas.” On the value of an everyday routine: “The biggest pillar for me is… daily structure… Waking up, doing something, and then going to bed is a big part of what kind of fuels a steady and stable recovery for me.” On shopping with an eating disorder vs. shopping in recovery: “Usually, back in my eating disorder, I would think, “What size do I want to have?” and now it’s like, “Well, what size do I need?”... I’ve gotten to a point to where I just don’t care what size I am. I’m a healthy size, that’s all that matters.” Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. - About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 75: Eating Disorders in Running with Rachael Steil Aug 01, 2022

Episode description: In this episode of Peace Meal, Rachael Steil shares her past struggles with anorexia and binge eating and her current passion for helping athletes with eating disorders. Rachael loved running from a young age, but the drive she felt to improve in her sport contributed to restrictive eating behaviors. She says she became obsessed with food and started pulling away from her friends and hobbies. Once Rachael started her recovery journey, she received incredible support from her college running coach. Reflecting on this experience, Rachael explains the essential role that coaches can have on their athletes' lives and the importance of educating coaches on eating disorder warning signs. Rachael ends the podcast with the inspiration for creating her memoir Running in Silence and her nonprofit of the same name and previews the topic of her next book. Rachael Steil is an eating disorder recovery advocate and the author of Running in Silence, which details her story as an All-American athlete struggling with anorexia and binge eating. She is also the founder of the Running in Silence nonprofit to break misconceptions and raise awareness for eating disorders in sports, serves on the board of the Michigan Eating Disorder Alliance, and is currently a mentor for the USTFCCCA Female Coaches Mentorship Program. We cover: How participating in sports that emphasize leanness, like running, can be a factor in the development of eating disorders How eating disorders can affect people in and outside of sport and cause them to pull away from their friends, family, and interests How opening up about your eating disorder can make you feel like your authentic self The role coaches can play in the lives of athletes suffering or recovering from an eating disorder Why it is so vital that coaches get training on how to spot the signs of an eating disorder and what to do if they spot them In Rachael’s words: On the impact of her eating disorder: “It affected me in so many other areas besides my weight. I was getting very withdrawn. I was barely hanging out with my friends. I was constantly thinking about food. I was starting to count calories, and pulling away from everything else that I loved in my life… I didn’t realize it was partly because I was restricting food; I thought I was finally doing something right.” On prioritizing health over performance in sport: “[My coach] said, ‘You don’t have to be fast, you have to be healthy.’” On the important role of the coach: “It’s so important to know your athletes well and to develop this relationship with them because you are one of the first people that’s going to be able to recognize when there are behavior changes.” If you would like to read the blog mentioned in the episode, “For Coaches, Approaching an Athlete with an Eating Disorder: Q&A with Dr. Paula Quatromoni,” you can find that here. Learn more about Rachael’s nonprofit by signing up for the Running in Silence newsletter and find Rachael’s book, Running in Silence, here. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. - About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 74: Finding Yourself in Recovery with Eric Pothen Jul 11, 2022

Episode description: In this episode of Peace Meal, Eric Pothen discusses how well-meaning comments about his body played a part in the development of his eating disorder. Following the body commentary he received after college, he says he started restricting, bingeing, and purging via excessive exercise. Eventually exhausted by the darkness he was living in and the feeling of losing himself, he set out on a path to recovery. He explains how preparing for a marathon helped his recovery because he had to focus on nourishing his body to prepare for the race. He also tells us how affirmations played an integral role in his recovery. Eric ends the podcast by explaining that recovery not only gives you freedom from your eating disorder, but also helps you rediscover and love yourself. A middle school choir teacher in Albertville, MN, Eric struggled with an eating disorder for several years. Today, he uses his previous struggles of having an eating disorder as his strength to raise awareness and serve as an advocate for those who struggle with these illnesses, disordered eating, or body image. Eric is the owner and founder of the apparel company Embrace Wear, whose mission is to help others learn how to embrace themselves and discover beauty and self-worth within. He recently launched a podcast of his own, Embracing You, which is now available on Apple Podcasts. We cover: How body-related comments can be a major risk factor in the development of an eating disorder How the concerns of loved ones can have a huge impact on realizing that you need help Why you have to do what works for you in recovery, regardless of what works for others The power of affirmations in the recovery process How recovery can help you find yourself again In Eric’s words: On recovery: “It’s going to be trial and error. You’re going to have to find things that maybe work for you and not another person. And be okay with knowing, “This is exactly where I need to be. This is exactly what I need to be doing. This is MY recovery and I get to navigate that myself—of course with the support of others, hopefully, along the way.” On the power of affirmations: “That was truly such a beautiful part of the process for me… As I was in this space of recovery, I was finding myself again. I was seeing the old parts of Eric that had been lost for so long. And that was really through those affirmations.” On why recovery is worth it: “You are so worth it. And it’s a challenging road ahead, I’m not going to lie, but you need to remember that you are the most important person in your life…. and you are worth all of the hard work. You are worth those really difficult moments to get yourself to a space where you can really rediscover the love that you have for yourself—a space where you feel more free, more connected to yourself, and ultimately, a space where you can live your life and just be.” Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. - About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 73: Diabetes and Eating Disorders with Dr. Jaime Taylor and Nayiri Khatchadourian Jun 06, 2022

Episode description: In this episode of Peace Meal, Dr. Jaime Taylor and Nayiri Khatchadourian discuss their study on physicians’ knowledge about disordered eating in patients with diabetes. Through their study, they found that many physicians feel that they do not have the resources to help patients who show signs of disordered eating. They also describe warning signs of disordered eating to look for in patients with diabetes, as well as some serious health complications that may occur in patients with an eating disorder and diabetes. They end the conversation by emphasizing the importance of spreading awareness about the elevated eating disorder risk for those with diabetes, as well as highlighting the fact that weight does not determine health. Dr. Jaime Taylor is the Director of Adolescent Medicine at Beaumont Children’s and is the Medical Director of the Hough Center for Adolescent Health. She is dedicated to the health and wellbeing of adolescents and is passionate about teaching on that subject as an Assistant Professor at Oakland University - William Beaumont School of Medicine. Nayiri Khatchadourian is currently a third-year medical student at Oakland University - William Beaumont School of Medicine. Her passion for advocating for mental health along with nutrition and wellness stemmed from her personal journey and struggles throughout her adolescent years. We cover: The importance of assessing physicians’ knowledge of disordered eating in patients with diabetes Why having type 1 diabetes is a risk factor for developing an eating disorder and why having both conditions can be an extremely dangerous combination How doctors are more likely to ask their patients questions about disordered eating if they feel they have the resources to help Warning signs of eating disorders to look out for when treating patients with diabetes, as well as the potential health complications when these co-occurring illnesses are not managed properly The importance of spreading awareness, not only to physicians but to everyone, that weight does not determine the health of an individual In their words: Nayiri on the results of their survey: “Of the people who responded, 97% of the physicians were endocrinologists…58.8% of them reported not having received any education about identifying and assessing for disordered eating among patients diagnosed with diabetes during or after their professional training. 68% identify that they didn’t believe they had the tools or resources available to assist a patient with disordered eating behavior.” Dr. Taylor on discussing body image with patients with diabetes: “It’s okay to talk about body image, it’s okay to talk about discomfort in body or changes in body. If we talk about it, then there’s a way for us to understand it better. And sometimes it’s just the fear of not knowing, ‘Why is my body changing?’ or ‘Why is it changing in this way?’” Dr. Taylor on what health means to her and her team: “It’s about balance and variety and feeding your mind and your body and your soul in whatever way that is and really embracing that everything fits. It doesn’t matter if you have diabetes, it doesn’t matter if you have disordered eating, you can find a way to make all of these things fit and work for you.” Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. - About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 72: The Benefits of Meditation with Kateri Anderson Heymans May 02, 2022

Episode description: Kateri Anderson Heymans is a woman from Minnesota who works remotely and lives her dream of traveling the world. After years of struggling with anorexia and binge eating disorder, she has found freedom from the illnesses that once consumed her life. Since Kateri was 17, she has practiced a type of meditation called the Isha Judd System, taught by the Isha Educating for Peace Foundation. She now teaches this method of meditation and supports others on their journey, taking whatever opportunity she can to share with others the tools and insight that transformed her life. In this episode of Peace Meal, Kateri discusses her history of anorexia and binge eating disorder, including the isolation and misery these eating disorders caused. She tells us about her journey to finding a meditation practice that positively changed her recovery and life. Through meditation, Kateri was able to gain the self-love and compassion that she so desperately needed, as well as overcome anxiety, depression, and grief from the loss of her mother. Kateri encourages everyone to give themselves the love and grace they deserve and ends the episode with a powerful meditation. We cover: How isolating and miserable it can be to suffer with an eating disorder How eating disorder behaviors might function as a maladaptive coping mechanism to deal with uncomfortable emotions How meditation can aid in eating disorder recovery, as well as help to manage co-occurring conditions like anxiety and depression How meditation can be challenging for those with an eating disorder, who often feel disconnected from their bodies The power of self-compassion and self-love, especially during recovery In Kateri’s words: On the role of meditation in eating disorder recovery: “It helped me to live as fully as I possibly could within the recovery process.” On the importance of giving yourself grace: “When we, in our mind, punish ourselves or judge ourselves for doing something, the behavior will continue. But when we’re loving and compassionate and kind and treat ourselves like a kid who is learning how to walk… the process will not only be a little bit less miserable, but I found in my experience that symptoms actually, little by little, started to lose their power.” On self-love during recovery: “Be loving with yourself where you are in this moment. No matter where you are in your life, in this moment, you deserve love… No matter if you’ve recovered, if you’re just starting… your worthiness of love does not change. So be kind and gentle with yourself as you are in this moment." Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. – About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 71: Figure Skating and Eating Disorders with Nichole Soltis Apr 01, 2022

Episode description: Nichole Soltis recently earned her master’s degree from The University of Akron and is now a licensed therapist in the state of Ohio. A long-time figure skater, she will be competing at her second Adult National Championships this month. She has a passion for eating disorders and their impact on athletes, and she hopes to use her platform to spread awareness, support others, and start the conversation about eating disorders and sports. In this episode of Peace Meal, Nichole discusses how her passion for figure skating played a role in the development and maintenance of her eating disorder, as well as how she was able to get back on the ice after treatment. Delving first into the complicated relationship between aesthetic sports and eating disorders, she shares how restricting her food did not improve her skating performance in the way her eating disorder promised it would. Instead, it negatively affected not just her sport, but also her physical and mental health. Through recovery, Nichole learned that nourishing her body and working on her technique was the best thing for her skating performance. Now as a therapist passionate about supporting athletes, she encourages all coaches to get their athletes professional help if they notice the warning signs of an eating disorder. Nicole ends the conversation by assuring any athletes struggling with an eating disorder that getting help can mean enjoying life, food, and their sport once again. We cover: The impact aesthetic sports can have on body image How the stigma surrounding eating disorders can make it more difficult to seek help How nourishing your body is the best thing you can do to be successful in your sport The unique role of coaches in the lives of athletes The importance of taking care of your mind and body In Nichole’s words: On the stigma surrounding eating disorders: “Everybody’s okay with any body part breaking down except our brains… The stigma is still around and it impacts us definitely.” On improving athletic performance in a healthy way: “I focus more on technique now as opposed to my body composition… I really think it’s important to focus on… changing that technique and adjusting it, as opposed to changing and adjusting your body.” On life in recovery: “You can still enjoy your life and enjoy food and enjoy your sport as well… You really do need to make sure that you’re taking care of your whole self… your mind, body, your soul.” Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. - About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 70: The Healing Power of Embodiment with Heidi Andersen Mar 07, 2022

Episode description: Heidi Andersen is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist Supervisor, Registered Yoga Teacher, and Embodiment Specialist. She has worked with people struggling with eating disorders as a therapist in residential, PHP, IOP, and outpatient levels of care. She currently maintains an outpatient group practice of body-centered psychotherapists specializing in weight-inclusive treatment for the intersection of trauma, attachment wounds, and eating disorders through an anti-oppression lens and somatic approach. In this episode of Peace Meal, we explore the concept of embodiment and how it relates to eating disorders and recovery. Heidi covers the reasons we can become disembodied, as well as different ways we can work toward reconnecting with our body. Heidi also dives into how important it is for healthcare providers who help others with their embodiment to work on their own. She offers yoga as one tool in increasing embodiment, and it is a practice she finds especially valuable to ground herself on bad body image days. Recognizing that embodiment can often feel unsafe for people who are not in white, straight-sized bodies, Heidi hopes for a future where embodiment is more accessible for all. We cover: The definition of embodiment and reasons why disembodiment can occur How we can start to be more present in our bodies What healthcare providers can do to help progress their own embodiment How yoga can aid the process of embodiment and eating disorder recovery How body changes during recovery are normal and how to show yourself compassion if your body changes Why embodiment is not as accessible or safe to those who aren’t white and straight-sized In Heidi’s words: On the true meaning of embodiment: “Embodiment is really about learning to experience ourselves from the inside out and experience life from that place, rather than the, ‘How am I being perceived as I’m doing this?’ On the impact of society on disembodiment: “We live in a society that has prejudice and oppression… We live in a society where we’re still being told that one kind of body is preferred, and so as long as that’s happening, as long as it feels dangerous to be in different sized bodies, that’s gonna impact our embodiment.” On the accessibility of embodiment: “Embodiment is definitely a key in recovery, but it is not as accessible to everybody. People that inhabit marginalized identities, it is less safe to be embodied. I think that is an important thing as a provider to understand is that, embodiment can feel like something that white, straight-sized people get to enjoy that marginalized identities can’t necessarily enjoy… Embodiment and safety in your body is a privilege.” Visit Heidi’s website, reclaimingbeauty.com, to purchase The Reclaiming Beauty Journal and Wisdom Deck, read her blog, and more, and follow her on Instagram (@reclaimingbeauty). Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. - About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 69: Mindful Self-Compassion with Erin Werner Feb 07, 2022

Episode description: Erin Werner is a mental health administrator, student, makeup artist, and ordained minister who enjoys being present with her family, cooking, and baking. In this episode of Peace Meal, she shares her eating disorder experience, including the factors that contributed to her illness, her process of seeking help, and the power of mindful self-compassion in her recovery. Erin recounts her struggle with multiple eating disorders, illnesses that were characterized by bingeing, restricting, and purging throughout her adolescence and into her 20s. She then explains how, with the help of her parents, she started therapy and learned to identify the factors and co-occurring issues that were masking and influencing these conditions. Over time and with professional help, she learned the skill of mindful self-compassion, which was critical to her recovery. She shares how she has developed better coping mechanisms through the practice of self-compassion and overall feels more at peace with herself, her body, and food. In addition to finding a passion for cooking, she can now see food for what it is, fuel for the body. We cover: How an untreated eating disorder can escalate through the years How therapy can help in identifying and working through past issues How self-kindness, not self-criticism, can be motivating in recovery and many aspects of life How comments about weight and body can inadvertently encourage disordered behaviors How learning to cook can help you connect with food In Erin’s words: On recovery: “I wish I realized sooner that you don’t have to recover alone.” On practicing mindful self-compassion: “When you are coming from a place of such low worth and guilt and shame, and you're almost at war with yourself, the idea of being kind to yourself is so unbelievably hard.” On learning to be nicer to yourself: “You have nothing to lose just trying to be as nice to yourself as you would to your best friend or partner or anyone else you care about. Try to turn some of that loving self-awareness to you.” - About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 68: The Dangers of “Clean Eating” with Jason Wood Jan 19, 2022

Episode description: Jason Wood combined his therapeutic love of writing with his mission to break the stigma around men’s mental health and eating disorders by launching orthorexiabites.com in 2021. His first book, a memoir titled Starving for Survival, is out now. In this episode of Peace Meal, Jason discusses how weight-based bullying, the loss of his parents, and a cancer scare all contributed to the development of his eating disorder. He reflects on how the praise he received after weight loss in his early teens led him to believe that diet and exercise were something that made him “good” in the eyes of others. Then, he explains, a cancer scare led him to dieting and “clean eating” in an attempt to prevent cancer—the illness that took both of his parents. Jason experienced weight loss and was once again praised by friends and healthcare providers, suggesting that he was on the right track. In reality, however, an obsession with “clean eating” was consuming his life. Jason wants to share his story so that other men and boys know that they are not alone in their struggle with an eating disorder. We cover: How bullying can affect body image from a young age How our culture praises weight loss and extreme dieting, which can reinforce disordered behaviors The power of a diagnosis How writing and sharing your story can help you find a community of people who understand what you’re going through How toxic masculinity can prevent men from getting the mental health help they need In Jason’s words: On sharing his story: “As a guy battling an eating disorder, I needed to get out there and I needed to share my story because there’s not enough men who talk about it. As someone who’s battling orthorexia, there’s not many people talking about it, I needed to get out there and change that as well.” On his relationship with food during his eating disorder: “There is nothing wrong with wanting to have a ‘healthy’ lifestyle… But then there’s individuals like myself when it goes too far… where suddenly, I’m no longer consuming food, food’s consuming me.” On how his definition of a “healthy lifestyle” has changed: “I was pursuing just physical health… I underestimated the power of mental health… social health… emotional health… Now I realize that there is a lot more to a ‘healthy lifestyle’ than just worrying about what you eat or how much you exercise.” You can purchase Jason’s book, Starving for Survival, through Amazon, his website, and more! You can also follow Jason on Instagram (@mentalstormwarning). Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. - About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 67: Pursuing Your Joy with Katie Whipple Jan 10, 2022

Katie Whipple is a Certified Public Accountant who co-led a $7 billion business deal as the youngest and only female on her team. After moving from New York to Indiana, she now participates in community involvement through Junior Achievement, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and her own podcast “Cup of Common Grounds.” Five years into her recovery, and after a seven-year hiatus, Katie decided to return to pageantry and will be competing for Miss Indiana USA in April. In this episode of Peace Meal, Katie explores the factors that led to the development and worsening of her eating disorder, as well as those that now keep her strong in recovery. As a home-schooled Christian who grew up in purity culture, she says she was unaccustomed to the cultural and social pressures she encountered at college. The dramatic transition triggered her eating concerns, as well as a feeling that she was living a double life: a high achiever confidently facing business partners and pageantry judges in public, but struggling in private. In recovery, Katie has learned to find worth beyond her appearance and better name her emotions, a skill that has deepened her relationships with family and friends. She has also been able to reignite a passion that provided self-confidence and self-development when she was younger, pageantry. Acknowledging that pageantry can be a significant trigger for those with eating disorders, Katie shares how she protects her recovery while doing what she loves. We cover: How naming emotions can be therapeutic How pageantry can contribute to an obsession with appearances in those susceptible How loss can bring a family closer together How being open about your eating disorder can you bring you closer to others How to do what you love while putting your recovery first In Katie’s words: On the fear of giving up her eating disorder: “‘If I give up control of my eating disorder, I’m not worthy enough, I’m not going to be enough’…And that was a scary thought that went through my brain.” On not letting her eating disorder win: “I realized that I was fearing the fear that I was not enough and I realized I was holding myself back from life. I was putting my life on pause because I was afraid of triggering something.” On worth beyond appearances: “My worth is not defined by how my body looks, it’s on how I feel about me.” About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 66: A Compilation of Advice for Those Doubting Recovery Dec 22, 2021

Episode description: In this special holiday episode, we have compiled some powerful insights on recovery from several of our 2021 guests who have experienced it themselves. Throughout the year, we asked our podcast guests with a personal eating disorder story this question: “What would you tell someone listening who believes recovery isn’t possible for them?” This episode features some of the answers we received in response. Many of our guests share how they once thought that recovery wasn’t possible for them as well, but every little step they made toward healing was so important. While acknowledging how challenging recovery can be, they also emphasize how much better it is than having an eating disorder. If you are experiencing or recovering from an eating disorder yourself, we hope that this episode leaves you with some hope and wisdom on your path to healing. Because we weren’t able to highlight every inspiring voice of recovery, we encourage you to check out any episodes you may have missed in 2021. Featured in this compilation are the following guests (in order of appearance): Episode 49: Managing Perfectionism with Kesslee Episode 52: The Gifts of Recovery with Katie Price Episode 59: Choosing Recovery with Kathryn Episode 53: Social Media and Recovery with Maddy Walters Episode 44: Recovery as a Journey with Rachel Wilshusen Episode 51: Staying Motivated in Recovery with Abby Anderson Episode 58: Advancing Eating Disorders Education with Shikha Advani Episode 54: Building Body Trust with Holly Toronto Episode 50: Food is More Than a Nutrition Label with Kenzie Osborne Episode 64: Healing Has No Age Limit with Betsy Brenner Episode 56: The Healing Power of Horses with Lisa Whalen Episode 43: Giving Voice to Eating Disorder Stories with Kiera Russo Episode 65: Honoring Your Hunger with Hannah Howard Episode 55: Eating Disorders in Fiction with Emily Layden Episode 62: Eating Disorders in the Jewish Community with Lucie Waldman If you’d like to share your recovery story on the podcast, please reach out to us at podcast@emilyprogram.com. We look forward to hearing your story and more next year on Peace Meal. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. _ About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends!

Episode 65: Honoring Your Hunger with Hannah Howard Dec 06, 2021

Episode description: Hannah Howard is a writer and food expert who has spent her career in the food industry serving, bartending, cooking on a line, flipping giant wheels of cheese, managing restaurants, and now writing about food. She is the author of two memoirs, Feast: True Love In and Out of the Kitchen and Plenty: A Memoir of Food and Family. In this episode of Peace Meal, Hannah tells us about her complex relationship with food, describing how she once feared her own appetite. Food had been the center point of her career–her professional passion–and also a source of anxiety as she struggled silently with an eating disorder. Hannah describes how sharing her story in recovery has not only connected her to others with similar experiences, but also allowed food to be a source of joy and passion once again. In addition, she discusses the "good" and "bad" labels often applied to food and encourages everyone to approach eating with self-compassion and kindness. She reflects on her experiences of pregnancy in recovery, naming how she set boundaries at the doctor’s office and strives to set a good example for her children. Recovery is a process, one Hannah says she is still learning. We cover: How a career in the food industry could be especially complicated for those with an eating disorder How sharing your recovery story can help you find other people who know what you’re going through How to handle unwanted (and uncalled for) comments about our body, appearance, and food choices How we can improve how our children’s view their bodies by setting a good example ourselves How food can be a point of connection and culture In Hannah’s words: On her once-complicated relationship with food: “For so long, my food relationship has been characterized by, on the one hand, some really positive stuff, some passion, and celebration, and the love for food. On the other hand [was] this other darker, harder side.” On appreciating her body during pregnancy: “Our bodies are pretty amazing machineries. You know, even if we are not feeling great, our bodies do so much for us...I spent all this time being so hard on my body and so mean to my body, and here it is, bringing a person into the world.” On recovery: “Give yourself some patience, give yourself some time, and I really do believe that if it’s possible for me, it’s possible for anyone.” You can purchase Hannah’s memoirs, Feast: True Love In and Out of the Kitchen and Plenty: A Memoir of Food and Family, on Amazon and Bookshop. Follow Hannah on Instagram (@hannahmhoward) and on Twitter (@hannahhoward). Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. _ About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@theemilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 64: Healing Has No Age Limit with Betsy Brenner Nov 17, 2021

Episode description: Betsy is a long-time tennis coach, retired hospital attorney, and the author of a memoir titled The Longest Match: Rallying to Defeat an Eating Disorder in Midlife. Her inspiring message is that it is never too late to be a work in progress. Betsy is also an eating disorder recovery speaker, advocate, and peer support mentor who shows that it is possible to heal from past trauma and become healthier in body, mind, and spirit. In this episode of Peace Meal, Betsy discusses how she was taught to suppress her emotions growing up, how dealing with her trauma was the only way to recover from her eating disorder, and how you’re never too old to start healing. She tells us how the food she consumed as a child was completely controlled by her mother, and how that prevented her from learning how to eat intuitively. She also covers the combination of events that led to her developing an eating disorder in midlife. Betsy shares that telling her story in her memoir lifted the weight of her trauma and made her feel empowered and free. She emphasizes that you can recover, as long as you’re willing to put in the hard work and deal with the trauma you’ve experienced. We cover: Why positive comments about someone’s body can be damaging, even when they are said with good intentions How eating disorders can affect everyone, no matter their age How shame and stigma can prevent people with eating disorders from sharing their experience with the people around them How freeing and empowering it can be to tell your story How to cope with the difficulties the holidays can bring In Betsy’s words: On the shame and stigma surrounding eating disorders: “Like with most mental illnesses, there is so much shame and secrecy, and I think especially when you’re older, there’s probably even more shame and more secrecy. So, I didn’t share it with anybody… I was still trying to understand what this meant for me.” On writing her book: “I decided to write it for two purposes: one was to heal on the deepest possible level from the trauma I had been through and the other was to give hope and inspiration to others because, if I could do this, anybody could do this.” On making her recovery story public: “It has been so freeing having my story out there… It’s almost like I was carrying this heavy weight of trauma and emotions and experiences and by writing my memoir, that weight has been lifted.” On how to cope with the holidays during recovery: “The focus needs to be on recognizing how important self-care is… It’s okay to protect your mental health, even if the people you have to say ‘no’ to don’t understand.” You can purchase Betsy’s book, The Longest Match: Rallying to Defeat an Eating Disorder in Midlife, on Amazon, through her website, and more! You can also follow Betsy on Instagram (@betsybrennerauthor). Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. _ About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 63: Healing from Compulsive Exercise with Amy Gardner Nov 01, 2021

Episode description: Amy Gardner, MS, CEDRD, RYT, is the creator of the program iMove and the author of the book iMove: Helping Your Clients Heal from Compulsive Exercise. The book discusses the difference between movement and exercise, and how each relates to eating disorder recovery. In this episode of Peace Meal, Amy breaks down what compulsive exercise and movement are, both in and out of the recovery space, how to notice when exercise turns into a compulsion, and what to do when compulsive exercise starts to become the only way some individuals feel a sense of accomplishment. Amy provides insights based on her and her clients’ experiences with movement and offers different approaches to changing compulsive exercise routines. We cover: How compulsive exercise turns into a feeling of obligation and how some may operate their lives around their exercise routines Why slowing down exercise routines can be very uncomfortable, and how to address that The difference between the terms “movement” and “exercise” Questions to ask a healthcare provider if compulsive exercise is becoming a problem In Amy’s words: On realizing that compulsive exercise was a problem in her life: “It really didn’t even dawn on me until I started having a much different relationship with movement...when I started to incorporate yoga and meditation and I started to realize ‘wait a minute, what I’m doing with my body is not coming from a place of love and health, it really stems into my eating disorder.’” On what compulsive exercise can do to a person: “It’s more punishment-driven. It tends to lower mood [and] decreases energy so people have less energy because it is exhausting their bodies so they have less energy for other things in their life.” On the concept of exercise to become tired: “This concept that we need to purposefully exercise to experience movement or to achieve this state of calm. Which I think a lot of people will do, whether it’s because of stress or trauma...they will exercise to exhaust themselves so they can finally rest.” Follow Amy Gardner on Instagram (@imovewithamy) or Facebook (iMoveMethod). _ About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast that explores topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 62: Eating Disorders in the Jewish Community with Lucie Waldman Oct 20, 2021

Episode description: Lucie Waldman is the author of The Jots of Becoming, a book that features insights about recovering from anorexia and includes multiple Jewish excerpts. Lucie also runs an eating disorder recovery awareness and support account on Instagram, enjoys speaking for multiple platforms about the intersection between Judaism and mental health, and is deeply passionate about mental health, eating disorder recovery, and equity in the treatment setting. In this episode of Peace Meal, Lucie discusses how Jewish culture and religion should be considered in eating disorder treatment, how sharing your recovery story can be beneficial, and how small steps in recovery add up to a longer and stronger recovery. Reflecting on her own experience, Lucie shares that she had trouble finding recovery content that resonated with her, so she decided to turn her story into such a resource for others. Among the messages she wanted to share is that not everyone has a “magic moment” where they feel ready to start eating disorder treatment. What’s more important, she says, is being willing to take small steps toward recovery. Lucie also examines the complex relationship between Judaism and her eating disorder recovery, underscoring the need to take into account intergenerational trauma and other cultural considerations during treatment. She concludes the episode by telling anyone struggling that every time they defy their eating disorder, it adds up to a longer and stronger recovery. We cover: Unhelpful messages to hear in recovery Why refraining from mentioning numbers in eating disorder recovery resources is much better for those in recovery who are consuming the content The importance of considering religion and culture in eating disorder treatment How sharing your eating disorder story can be healing and help others heal Advice to anyone suffering with an eating disorder who thinks that recovery is not possible for them In Lucie’s words: On feeling “ready” to start eating disorder treatment: “Having willingness to start recovery is sometimes more important than readiness.” On the importance of personalized eating disorder treatment: “Some of the traditional approaches to family therapy are not as relevant to Jewish clients. There is sort of this aspect of, ‘Oh if a family member is not good for you, you should just cut them out.’ But for me, I never resonated with that because the family unit is something that’s so highly valued.” On the process of recovery: “It might not happen tomorrow or next week, but all the small steps you’re doing towards recovery are adding up. Every meal, every snack, every time you defy the eating disorder once, is adding up to a longer and stronger recovery. It’s a long road, but eventually, through all the work, it does pay off.” You can find Lucie's book, The Jots of Becoming: A Journey of Hope and Recovery, on Amazon. You can also follow the nonprofit organization @projectheal, which is mentioned in the episode. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. _ About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 61: The Intersection of Faith and Mental Health with Kelsey Oct 04, 2021

Episode description: Kelsey is a pediatric registered nurse working on her master’s degree in psychiatric nursing. In this episode of Peace Meal, she shares her eating disorder and recovery story, including the impact of her faith and her college environment on her experiences of illness and recovery. Though Kelsey had seen many medical providers growing up, she says her relationship with food long went unquestioned. She had concerns about her eating but struggled in silence for years. She didn’t yet have the language to name her disordered eating, often describing her anxiety and stress more generally instead. She faced barriers getting help in college—a stressful environment already—but only found lasting support after an interaction at church. A person of faith, Kelsey turned to her pastor, who told her that her illness required professional support. Prayers alone would not heal her. After being connected with new resources, she says she became honest with her secrets with her family and made a “no more lying” rule with her parents. Her sister and niece were also strong motivations to help her recover and to model and practice body positivity. Kelsey leaves us with insight and hope for college students, people of faith, or anyone struggling with an eating disorder. We cover: How warning signs of eating disorders can go unnoticed by professionals How faith and religion can play a part in recovery The benefits of family support to the recovery process The experience of recovering during the pandemic Advice for college students who struggle with body image In Kelsey’s words: On the importance of professional help: “Prayer wasn’t going to do it alone. We needed professionals. We needed a team of people.” On the missed opportunities to find support earlier: “Beyond my primary care, there were so many people who disregarded and just didn’t recognize my underlying issues. From doctors to dentists to physical therapists, there are like a hundred instances.” On life in recovery: “I think you might expect it to be not messy, but it still is… It’s messy without an eating disorder, [but] it’s better! Life in recovery is beautiful.” Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. _ About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast that explores topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 60: Temperament-Based Therapy with Supports (TBT-S) with Dr. Laura Hill Sep 15, 2021

Episode description: Dr. Laura Hill is an international eating disorder consultant focusing on brain-based eating disorder treatment approaches. She is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at The Ohio State University and Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at The University of California, San Diego. She is one of the original founders of the Academy for Eating Disorders and the Director of the organization now known as NEDA from 1990 to 1994. In addition, Dr. Hill is the founder and former President and Chief Executive Officer of The Center for Balanced Living. In this episode of Peace Meal, Dr. Hill introduces an emerging brain-based treatment called Temperament-Based Therapy with Supports (TBT-S). TBT-S helps people with eating disorders understand their unique temperament so that they can use it as a tool for recovery. Distinguishing between traits and symptoms, Dr. Hill explains that temperament includes traits like impulsivity, introversion, and determination, while symptoms include eating disorder behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. She emphasizes that temperament traits are neither good nor bad; what’s important is how they are applied. TBT-S helps people with eating disorders and their support people use their traits more productively to aid in recovery. Dr. Hill also talks about the importance of support in treatment and recovery. In the end, she addresses how providers can use TBT-S to complement other treatment approaches. We cover: The basics of Temperament-Based Therapy with Supports (TBT-S) How TBT-S is supported by brain research How people with eating disorders can use TBT-S to express their traits more productively and aid in their recovery The role of support people in the TBT-S model How TBT-S differs from and complements other treatment modalities In Dr. Hill’s words: On the traits we’re all given: “Traits are genetically endowed. You don’t get to choose your trait, you just try to make them better.” On the importance of temperament to eating disorder treatment: “What we are finding is that eating disorders have a huge relapse… Our theory is that the relapses are due to us not addressing the traits enough.” On the difficulty of imagining life without an eating disorder: “When clients say, ‘I can’t imagine my life without ED,’ they were telling us the truth. I can’t imagine my life without my traits because it’s who I am.” Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 59: Choosing Recovery with Kathryn Sep 07, 2021

Episode description: Kathryn is a 31-year-old woman who enjoys cooking, hosting friends, teaching music, and getting lost in nature. Best known for her big heart and passion for life, she lives in a larger body and advocates for people to take up more space. Kathryn joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to share her eating disorder story, including how living in a larger body has impacted her recovery. For over 20 years, food was the center of Kathryn’s life. She kept trying to figure out what was happening on her own, blaming herself for her struggles. After talking with the people closest to her, she decided to seek help even though she didn’t have a lot of hope that anything would work. As soon as Kathryn reached out for help, however, she says it felt like a “warm hug.” In speaking with an eating disorder specialist, she discovered that she did, in fact, have an illness. It was not her fault. While she experienced many barriers throughout her recovery living in a larger body, she grew to learn that all food is good food and that you should take up as much space as you need. With the support of her treatment team, friends, and family, she learned how to take care of herself, live as the most authentic version of herself, and make sure all her needs are met. We cover: How a decades-long struggle with food led to an eating disorder diagnosis The possible obstacles of the eating disorder recovery process How our culture invalidates eating disorders, especially if the person is in a larger body What it’s like to be in an eating disorder treatment group as the only person in a larger body The importance of taking up the space you need In Kathryn’s words: On her relationship with food before recovery: “Food was my higher power. It affected my emotions. It controlled everything. Food was always the focus… It was suffocating.” On life in recovery: “Freedom is probably the best word. I energetically take up all the space that I need. I make sure that my needs are met… I just get to be me. There are no more lingering clouds of doubt… I just get to live now.” On her advice to someone currently struggling with an eating disorder: “Choose healing above anything else.... Living life the way you have been and choosing a path of recovery… Both are hard, but choose healing.” Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. _ About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast that explores topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 58: Advancing Eating Disorders Education with Shikha Advani Aug 18, 2021

Episode description: Shikha Advani is an incoming master’s student and dietetic intern at Boston University who is passionate about eating disorders awareness, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion in the nutrition and eating disorder fields. As a teenager, Shikha battled anorexia and orthorexia. She hopes her story can help others with eating disorders, no matter where they are in their recovery process. In this episode of Peace Meal, Shikha discusses what her relationship with food and her body was growing up, how professionals and her loved ones responded to her eating disorder, and how she believes nutrition and eating disorders curricula in universities could be improved. She talks about the weight bias and racism she experienced as a South Asian woman living in a larger body, including the praise she received from doctors for weight loss. Shikha also emphasizes the importance of therapy in addition to any other kind of treatment for eating disorders. In addition, she dives into what her dietetics curriculum at her university was lacking, including topics like social justice, fat positivity, and more, and what it was like to push back against outdated ideas. Finally, she discusses her hopes for the future of the dietetics and eating disorder fields. We cover: How weight bias can prolong an eating disorder diagnosis Why recovery from anorexia is more than just weight restoration How eating disorders can take away the joy of food How Shikha pushed back against the weight-centric curriculum of her university What Shikha’s hopes are for the dietetics and eating disorder fields going forward In Shikha’s words: On the true meaning of food: “[I’ve] learned that food is more than what you should put in your body… food is joy, food is something that represents culture, food is so much more.” On the future of the dietetics and eating disorder fields: “I’m really hoping to see a lot more diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field. I’m seeing a lot of people talk about why diversity is important, but a lot of people tend to forget about the equity and inclusion part of it.” On inherent worthiness: “Diet culture is rampant and there’s constantly people around you that will tell you, you are not worthy because of the size of your body, the color of your skin, but you’re strong and you’re worthy.” Follow Shikha Advani on Instagram @nutrition_by_sa Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. _ About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast that explores topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 57: Supporting a Partner with an Eating Disorder with Dana Harron Aug 02, 2021

Episode description: Dr. Dana Harron is a practicing psychologist, the founder and director of Monarch Wellness & Psychotherapy, and the author of Loving Someone with an Eating Disorder: Understanding, Supporting and Connecting with Your Partner. She joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to discuss how partners of people with eating disorders can support their loved one through illness and recovery. Dana discusses the common mistakes that partners of people with eating disorders can make and how to avoid those mistakes. She also provides practical tips for approaching a partner when you notice unhealthy behaviors and how to respond when a partner shares that they are struggling with food or their body. In addition, Dana covers useful strategies for supporting a partner during eating disorder recovery, emphasizing the importance of self-care to this process. We cover: The impact of eating disorders on close relationships Mistakes commonly made by partners of those with eating disorders How to approach a loved one when they display warning signs of an eating disorder What to say when a loved one shares they are struggling with food or their body Strategies for self-care and for caring for your partner with an eating disorder In Dana’s words: On the confusing nature of eating disorders: “Eating disorders are particularly tricky for loved ones because it seems choiceful. I think it’s really important to keep in mind that it is not. Nobody would decide, ‘I don’t want to be properly nourished.’” On communicating with a partner who has an eating disorder: “You don’t have to say the perfect thing. In fact, the pressure to say the perfect thing, I think, is part of what makes people say all kinds of things that are very far from perfect. Just shoot for good enough." On respecting our different struggles: “We all have a different cognitive set. So for one person, food is difficult; for another person, sleep is difficult. I often say, telling someone with an eating disorder to ‘just eat differently’ is like telling an insomniac to ‘just go to sleep.’ It’s not that easy." Learn more about Dr. Dana Harron on her website. Find a copy of Dana’s book, Loving Someone with an Eating Disorder: Understanding, Supporting and Connecting with Your Partner, on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. _ About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast that explores topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 56: The Healing Power of Horses with Lisa Whalen Jul 21, 2021

Episode description: Lisa Whalen, PhD, is the author of Stable Weight: A Memoir of Horses, Hunger, and Hope. Her writing has also appeared in An Introvert in an Extrovert World, The Simpsons’ Beloved Springfield, Introvert, Dear, and Adanna, among other publications. Lisa teaches writing and literature at North Hennepin Community College and is an equestrian and volunteer for the Animal Humane Society. In this episode of Peace Meal, Lisa describes two key components of her eating disorder recovery: writing and horseback riding. Underscoring the multifaceted nature of the healing process, she reflects on how writing and riding each offered unique lessons for her mind and body. Writing, she explains, supported and extended her therapy lessons, while riding provided a space to put the lessons into practice. Lisa introduces us to a few of the horses that served as mentors throughout her recovery, highlighting the lessons they could teach us all about staying present, taking up space, and being imperfect. She then translates how these and other recovery “nuggets”—the wisdom learned from horses, writing, and therapy—continue to serve her life and career. We cover: The mental health benefits of writing, even if we never share our writing with others What horses can teach us about taking up space and owning our imperfections The power of body language in both animals and people How traits like perfectionism, high sensitivity, and introversion can be harnessed for good Why recovery—like all growth and learning—is best taken one step at a time In Lisa’s words: On the therapeutic role of horses: “For me, riding horses felt like a therapy practicum… I learned all this stuff while I was in therapy, and the horses were forcing me to practice it over and over.” On embracing imperfection: “There’s no end to the learning. There’s no perfect. You’re always working toward it, but it’s never a standard because the horses aren’t perfect—and they don’t care if they’re perfect or not.” On the support of therapy: “It started off for me as a safe space. It was this place I could go and I could talk about all the worst stuff about myself and there was no judgment. She was only rooting for me. She only wanted me to succeed and to be happy and healthy, and she had the tools and the skills to help me do it.” Learn more about Lisa on her website and follow her on social media @LisaIrishWhalen. Find her book, Stable Weight: A Memoir of Horses, Hunger, and Hope, at Hopewell Publications and on Amazon. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 55: Eating Disorders in Fiction with Emily Layden Jul 06, 2021

Episode description: Emily Layden is a writer and former high school English teacher from upstate New York. A graduate of Stanford University, her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Marie Claire, The Billfold, and Runner's World. She joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to discuss her debut novel All Girls. We explore the depiction of disordered eating and anxiety in the book and society more generally, using Emily’s experience with the co-occurring concerns as context along the way. We center our conversation on one of the characters of All Girls, Macy, who struggles with clinical anxiety and an eating disorder resembling ARFID. Emily tells us about her decision to write Macy as she did, eschewing graphic descriptions of behaviors to highlight Macy's anxious thoughts instead. She describes what she hopes All Girls adds to the larger conversation about eating disorders and the adolescent females among whom eating disorders are particularly prevalent. Emphasizing the importance of taking both eating disorders and young women more seriously, we explore how society tends to think similarly of both. We cover: The relationship between anxiety, obsessive thoughts, and disordered eating/eating disorders How exercising compassion with her students became a way for Emily to exercise compassion for herself How our culture routinely dismisses or trivializes eating disorder stories and other experiences prevalent among young women How one character in All Girls, Macy, can widen our cultural understanding of eating disorders What the reader response to Macy says about changing attitudes toward eating disorders and mental illness In Emily’s words: On the connection between anxiety and disordered eating: “Macy is anxious, you see in her chapter, about so many things entirely unrelated to her body or to food. But she copes with that anxiety through avoidant and restrictive behaviors.” On typical eating disorder depictions: “So often when we have a depiction of an eating disorder on TV or in literature, it tends to be this very narrow reflection of the experience.” On the parallel between society’s understanding of young women and of eating disorders: “I think that there’s this whole culture that says that girls are not really whole people and thinks that they are trivial or overly emotional… and I think we see a lot of that same flattening with our cultural thinking about eating disorders.” Find Emily on Instagram @emilylayden and at emilylayden.com. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 54: Building Body Trust with Holly Toronto Jun 16, 2021

Episode description: Holly Toronto is a Certified Master Level Coach who specializes in body image. She has five years of experience helping people stop prioritizing other people’s expectations of beauty, belief, or behavior so that they can live their life from a place of wholeness, fully aligned with the truth of who they are. Holly joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to explore factors that impact our relationship with our bodies, as well as some strategies to improve it. Holly first unpacks how purity culture shaped the way she learned to relate to her own body. Messages about sexuality contributed to body distrust and triggered negative body image at a young age. Her body shame increased as she grew into early adulthood and experienced acne. She adopted a “pure food” diet meant to clear her skin, but lost weight and received validation for that instead. Though it seemed normal and even “healthy,” in reality, the highly restrictive diet was taking a serious toll on Holly’s mental and physical wellbeing. And then came a turning point. Holly shares how finding intuitive eating impacted her life and career by challenging misguided ideas of health and set her on a path toward food freedom and body trust. She dispels common myths about intuitive eating and describes how she walks alongside her clients who adopt it. Emphasizing the importance of body trust and partnership, she offers tips for anyone seeking to heal their relationships with their bodies. We cover: The parallels between sexual purity and “pure” or clean eating Myths and realities of intuitive eating The far-reaching impact of body image healing How to relate to your body as a partner instead of an object How to honor and trust our body signals In Holly’s words: On the gifts of intuitive eating: “What intuitive eating gave me was a sense of trust in my body—that I don’t have to manipulate her for her to be healthy. For her to be strong. For her to be exactly what she needs to be. I needed to disconnect the weight from the worth and the weight from the health.” On the importance of body trust: “This body that we live in was our original life partner. And like any partnership, trust is the foundational element.” On connecting to ourselves: “Body image healing can be a gateway back to ourselves—to a sense of deeper homecoming, connection to ourselves, and what we want to be putting out into the world.” Find Holly on Instagram @holly.toronto. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 53: Social Media and Recovery with Maddy Walters Jun 01, 2021

Episode description: Maddy Walters is a psychology student passionate about eating disorder research and advocacy. She brings her passion and personal experience to this episode of Peace Meal to help us examine the intersection of social media and eating disorder recovery. We explore what it's like to share your recovery online and to engage with others sharing theirs. Maddy reflects on what she’s learned by creating a recovery Instagram account and how her recovery has evolved in the time since she did. Highlighting the key benefits and challenges of participating in an online recovery community, she offers insight into both the rewarding and tricky parts. She emphasizes the importance of protecting and prioritizing recovery—online and off—and leaves us with practical strategies for others trying to heal in a social media world. We cover: Why and when Maddy decided to create a recovery Instagram page Finding solidarity, support, and encouragement in people who are also recovering The impact of triggering content online, including that which is intended as recovery inspiration Strategies for engaging with social media in recovery Resources to practice and protect your recovery both online and in real life In Maddy’s words: On encountering triggering content on social media: “If I see something that’s really good about a page, but there’s still so much that’s making me feel bad… I block, I restrict, I unfollow. Because there are a lot that don’t do that.” On what’s good about eating disorder recovery: “What’s not good?! I really just cherish every single day since I can actually enjoy it and understand what’s good about it instead of just focusing on myself.” On protecting your recovery when using social media: “It’s so important to guard your space.” Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 52: The Gifts of Recovery with Katie Price May 19, 2021

Episode description: Katie Price is a registered nurse and yoga teacher whose understanding of what it means to care for bodies—both hers and others'—has been shaped by her recovery from anorexia. She cares deeply about walking alongside others struggling with eating disorders and hopes that by sharing her story, she can offer hope and support. In this episode of Peace Meal, Katie offers exactly that. She shares the many gifts within her story of illness and healing, revealing the light, growth, and support that can be found in moments of darkness and challenge. Katie begins with an honest account of life with anorexia, an illness her parents recognized early on. A meal plan, weight checks, and outpatient appointments were established quickly, but the eating disorder fought to maintain its hold. Katie found herself caught in a “tenuous dance” between it and recovery. The eating disorder led Katie to what seemed like the lowest point possible. “It felt like the darkest, rockiest bottom I could have ever imagined,” she reflects about the moment she entered a higher level of care. But there, at the hospital, is not only where she started to crawl out of the pit of anorexia, but also where she began to realize the gifts of connection, support, and hope she'd continue to find along her journey. Describing her life now, Katie paints a picture rich with feeling and meaning. It is not free from challenges—far from it, especially as a nurse during the pandemic—but still, she notes, it beats the days spent in illness. Even when it’s hard, she says, “I’m present to it, and it’s the fullness of life that I fought so hard for. And it’s so much better than my eating disorder—even when it’s a lot to handle—so I’m endlessly grateful for that.” Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 51: Staying Motivated in Recovery with Abby Anderson May 03, 2021

Episode description: Abby Anderson is a business school graduate who works a corporate job and is passionate about mental health, yoga, and personal development. Diagnosed with anorexia in the summer of 2018, she has experienced a series of ups and downs worth noting to anyone with an eating disorder or disordered eating. In this episode of Peace Meal, Abby tells us about the process of her eating disorder recovery, including the shifts in motivation she has experienced during it. She begins with the rock-bottom moment she first sought help. Exhausted and physically depleted, she recalls being highly motivated to make a change then. But, as is typical in recovery, her motivation ebbed and flowed as time went on, and she learned why healing is often described as a nonlinear process. “Your body catches up a lot before your mind does,” she says. In the process of recovering both physically and psychologically, disordered behaviors crept back into Abby's life. Her “unhealthy voice” got louder the more she engaged in these behaviors, and the pressures of the college environment didn’t help. Returning to treatment allowed Abby to recommit to and strengthen her recovery, a process that continues today. She has insight into the common barriers to healing, as well as tools to maintain motivation. Abby shares several strategies that have been helpful to her healing, emphasizing the power of supportive environments and people. Reflecting on her own experience, she concludes with words of advice for those currently feeling unmotivated or ambivalent about recovery: “The best thing I ever did—and the hardest thing I ever did—was take my hands off the steering wheel and give it to someone else. . . give it to a professional.” Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 50: Food is More Than a Nutrition Label with Kenzie Osborne Apr 21, 2021

Episode description: Kenzie Osborne is a mental health blogger, chef, recipe developer, and former NCAA athlete. After battling intensely with anorexia, she was able to find peace with food through cooking, traveling, and learning about the many benefits food has on the mind, spirit, and body. Kenzie shares her story with us in this episode of Peace Meal. We begin by discussing a label long attached to her—“the healthy and fit one”—and its impact on her identity. A daughter of doctors and sister to high-performing athletes, she felt immense pressure as part of a family defined by health and athletics. “That’s who [others] knew my family was. That’s who they expected me to be,” she reflects. “And I felt like when I lived up to those expectations, I was accepted and I was praised, and I would get really positive feedback.” As Kenzie’s “healthy” eating and exercise were validated, her eating disorder grew stronger, and its impact was far-reaching. Terrified and unable to be present around food, she missed out on social events. She faced health complications. Her wellbeing, her athletic performance—her life—suffered. Still, as it often is in a culture that normalizes disordered eating, it was hard to recognize that she had a serious illness. After a gym teacher expressed concern, Kenzie told her parents she needed help. Immediately, her family lent generous support in ways both traditional and creative. They joined Kenzie at meals—both virtually and in person, for however long they took—and started playing games inspired by shows like Chopped and Guy’s Grocery Games. “It was so cool because it got my mind away from the nutrition for a second and it put it on the creativity,” she says of her family’s Food Network-inspired nights. Kenzie took her new interest in food to culinary school, which both challenged and strengthened her eating disorder recovery. Gradually surrendering long-held control in food preparation, she began to see food as more than a nutrition label. She discovered what normal eating looks like—and what it tastes like. She opened her eyes to food’s various cultural, social, and creative elements. Culinary school, along with traveling, helped Kenzie appreciate food as integral to a full life. In addition to cooking and developing recipes, she celebrates food now by photographing and writing about the life-affirming moments we can share around a meal. Kenzie’s blog is currently under construction. For now, find her on Instagram at @coachkenzieosborne. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 49: Managing Perfectionism with Kesslee Apr 05, 2021

Episode description: Kesslee is a young professional, part-time coach, wife, and dog mom. She is passionate about serving others to become the best version of themselves and using her journey to help them along the way. Kesslee joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to share how perfectionism manifested during her eating disorder and recovery. She begins by recognizing the challenges of being a Division 1 distance runner. Under pressure to be small and lean for the sport, Kesslee restricted food while training more and more. The core issue, she says, was a belief that she was not enough—not for her coaches and not her parents. Now, Kesslee has tools and strategies for combating the lie that says she is a failure. She offers a practical exercise and recommendations for those similarly worried that they’re not enough, emphasizing the power of therapy and meaningful relationships as well. Equipped with this professional and personal support, she is now focused on adding small nurturing and empowering things into her life. She strives to use her perfectionism for good and carries with her a bold affirmation: “I have been put on this earth to take up space and become stronger.” Get help from The Emily Program by calling 1-888-364-5977 or by visiting emilyprogram.com/your-recovery/get-help-now. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 48: Finding Freedom in Recovery with Christie Dondero Bettwy Mar 17, 2021

Episode description: Christie Dondero Bettwy is the Executive Director of Rock Recovery, a nonprofit that uniquely combines clinical and community care to help people overcome disordered eating. In this episode of Peace Meal, Christie shares with us her personal and professional experience with eating disorders. She first traces her path through illness and healing, highlighting the risk factors that contributed to her disorder as well as the community that helped her find freedom from it. Then she unpacks her decision to enter the eating disorders field–including how and when she knew she was “recovered enough” to translate her personal experience and passion into a career at Rock Recovery. Finally, Christie helps us reflect on the tremendous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on eating disorders. We discuss how COVID-19 has triggered and exacerbated these illnesses, and how we, as a field, must work collaboratively and creatively to meet the tremendous need for care now and beyond the pandemic. Learn more about Rock Recovery at rockrecoveryed.org, and follow the organization on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 47: Body Image in Adolescents with Charlotte Markey Mar 01, 2021

Episode description: Charlotte Markey, PhD, is a Professor of Psychology and Health Sciences at Rutgers University in Camden, New Jersey. She has researched body image and eating behaviors for nearly 25 years, and is the author of The Body Image Book for Girls: Love Yourself and Grow Up Fearless. Charlotte joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to discuss adolescent body image. Offering research and practical insight into the multifaceted topic, she notes that body image encompasses far more than whether we like our bodies. She touches on its various dimensions and implications in the everyday lives of adolescents and teens. Body image has long been considered a women’s issue, and our understanding of the unique experiences of boys and men is still evolving. Research on body image in trans and nonbinary youth lags even further behind, Charlotte notes, but it is clear that adolescents of all genders are suffering from body image concerns. Tools for helping this population develop a strong body image are particularly important, especially given that disordered eating and eating disorders often manifest during adolescence and young adulthood. One strategy Charlotte offers is to think of our bodies not in terms of how they look but instead of what they allow us to do. “[Our bodies] allow us to experience the world, and so many people grow up feeling like their body is the problem. Instead, I think it’s just so much healthier to think about… no, your body actually allows this all to happen,” she says. To help children value body functionality over appearance, Charlotte stresses that adults must model the lesson themselves. They can avoid commenting on their own and others’ physical appearance and shift the focus to internal traits, teaching adolescents that they are valued for who they are instead of how they look. Charlotte acknowledges the difficulty of promoting positive body image in an image-conscious, diet-obsessed world. Countering society’s messages about appearance and diets requires careful thought and continual practice. But it can be done, she maintains. Learn more about The Body Image Book for Girls online, and find Charlotte on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 46: Redefining Beauty with Melissa Louise Johnson Feb 17, 2021

Episode description: Melissa Louise Johnson is a Marriage and Family Therapist, adjunct professor at Bethel University, and the founder of the Impossible Beauty blog and podcast. Through her work at Impossible Beauty, Melissa is on a mission to expand and renew beauty, as she believes the American brand of beauty is divisive, destructive, and far too narrow. Melissa explores the concept of beauty with us in this episode of Peace Meal. She describes how cultural beauty messages impacted her childhood, adolescence, and the development of her eating disorder, as well as how she recognized and reckoned with these messages in recovery. Appearance standards were set early in Melissa’s life. Animated princesses, sitcom actresses—all of the media's kind and “good” characters—reinforced a singular image of beauty. External beauty was important, the media showed. And beautiful meant thin. On top of these media images, another layer of cultural messaging emerged in Melissa’s adolescence and early adulthood. These messages, Melissa sees now, included disordered ideas about food and body. Her peers actively engaged in diets and swapped diet culture messages, all of which reinforced dieting as a means to meet the thin beauty ideal. It was in eating disorder treatment that Melissa began to critically examine society’s messages about beauty, thinness, and dieting. In group therapy, she observed how these messages had impacted other people’s lives, her heart breaking at all the damage they inflicted. “We’ve been so lied to about what beauty is and our worth,” she came to realize. Increasingly aware of these cultural lies about physical appearance, Melissa sought to redefine the concept of beauty for herself and others. Toward that end, she created Impossible Beauty, a blog and podcast that aim to expand narrow societal standards. In her work at Impossible Beauty, Melissa differentiates between culture’s fleeting, fickle standards of beauty and true beauty, which is eternal and unchanging. The blog and podcast invite others to examine appearance expectations as well. “There is actually another path that we can take that actually values our humanity and the sacredness of us as eternal beings—who have so much value beyond how we align or don’t align to this very small picture of beauty,” Melissa says. Find Impossible Beauty at impossible-beauty.com and on Instagram. Connect with Melissa on Instagram at @melissa.louise.johnson. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 45: An Eating Disorder’s Impact on Siblings with Jaeden Luke & Kianna Garmanian Feb 01, 2021

Episode description: Jaeden Luke is a singer-songwriter who wrote the single “Beautiful” for his older sister Kianna, who experienced and fully recovered from an eating disorder. Kianna is a graduate of St. Martin’s University, a young adult group ministry leader, and the author of a forthcoming book about her healing journey, The Cross That Set Me Free. Jaeden and Kianna join us in this Peace Meal episode to explore the sibling experience of eating disorders. The brother and sister pair recall how Kianna’s eating disorder impacted their relationship as well as how their relationship—and “Beautiful”—helped her heal. The siblings have always been close, they share. But Kianna’s eating disorder wedged itself between her and her brother, as is characteristic of these isolating illnesses. Entrenched in the depths of her disorder, Kianna grew distant from the family and friends so meaningful to her. She turned down plans and hid from others, her eating disorder isolating her in misery and darkness. It was hard to accept help and love. Jaeden describes the difficulty of witnessing the dimming of Kianna’s light and stealing of her spunk. Though he didn’t understand what was happening, he remembers that one feeling was clear: “I just felt like I was losing a lot of her.” Feeling confused and helpless, he turned to a means of expression most familiar to him, music. Jaeden wrote “Beautiful” for Kianna in the early stages of her recovery. His goal in writing the song, he reflects, was to package a message of comfort that would travel with her anywhere. No matter what, the song would be a reminder that he would always be there. In a Peace Meal first, Jaeden then plays the song live, sharing his encouraging anthem again with Kianna as well as anyone affected by these illnesses. “You are so beautiful,” he sings, strumming his guitar in rhythm. Kianna takes us to the moment she heard the song for the first time. She recounts the complex mix of emotions she felt then: shock, love, and determination along with the numbness that often comes early in recovery. “It was incredible,” she says, “and it gives me goosebumps every time.” The two then unpack the lyrics of “Beautiful.” For Jaeden, they captured Kianna’s journey as he saw it, and for Kianna, they inspired her to commit to recovery more fully and actively. More determined after hearing it, she hoped that one day she would believe its resounding chorus. Reflecting on their own experience, Kianna and Jaeden offer advice for other siblings, including creative ways to reach out to those struggling in isolation and darkness. They champion support that is less about “fixing” things and more about walking alongside your loved one in love and presence. Hear “Beautiful” on Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, and YouTube, and learn more about Jaeden on his website and Instagram. Watch for more news of Kianna’s book, The Cross That Set Me Free, soon. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 44: Recovery as a Journey with Rachel Wilshusen Jan 20, 2021

Episode description: Rachel Wilshusen is a dynamic writer with liberal arts degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, University College London, and the University of Cambridge. After an extensive battle with anorexia, she wrote Emancipated Love Junkie: Liberating Myself From Anorexia to embolden others to follow her path toward recovery. Rachel shares with us her experience of eating disorder recovery in this episode of Peace Meal. She illustrates it as a multi-step, nonlinear journey that began the moment she first reached out for help and continued well into and after her stay at an eating disorder center. Treatment provided the necessary structure, education, and tools to help Rachel launch her healing, and then her task was to implement the lessons learned into her own life. To actively value her health, she says she relied on continued support from eating disorder professionals and a regular practice of self-care. She reminded herself again and again, even when she couldn’t quite believe it was true: She deserves to treat herself well. With repetition and practice, Rachel has been able to quiet her inner critic and treat herself as she would treat her best friend. Self-kindness allows her to handle slips along the way and to reframe her perspective when negative, self-defeating thoughts come. It also helps her to keep her perfectionism and desire for control at bay. Some of the biggest gifts of Rachel’s recovery include the ability to respect, trust, and affirm the power of her body and the opportunity to learn more about herself. She shares how her relationship with her body evolved with pregnancy, as did her appreciation of nutrition. These big and “mini-wins” along the way, Rachel concludes, are what make her recovery. It has indeed been a nonlinear process—but a beautiful one. To put it short? It’s a “manifestation of self-love,” she says. Rachel’s book is available in print and digital form on Amazon. Her blog, Live Free & Happy, is on her website, rachelwilshusen.com. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 43: Giving Voice to Eating Disorder Stories with Kiera Russo Jan 04, 2021

Episode description: Kiera Russo is a student at The University of Notre Dame, studying Film, Television, and Theatre. An eating disorder survivor, she hosts the podcast Heavier Than I Look, which aims to empower other survivors, educate listeners, and foster conversation surrounding eating disorders. By finding meaning in her own suffering, Kiera hopes to fight against the silence that eating disorders demand and to liberate others from the same demand. In this episode of Peace Meal, Kiera shares with us her eating disorder and recovery story. She traces the beginning of her illness to the time following eighth grade. During this period of transition, stress, and anxiety, Kiera started running to prepare for her school’s track team. But, she says, “it easily and quickly turned into…a mechanism for me to control not only how many calories I would allow myself that day, but also how much weight I could possibly lose.” While Kiera’s eating disorder was taking root, people around her inadvertently reinforced it by remarking positively on her behaviors and body changes. These comments validated the disordered behaviors, all the while worsening her illness. After years of struggling in silence, shame, and confusion, Kiera opened up about her illness in a class poetry assignment. She recited the poem in front of her classmates, uttering the words “eating disorder” for the first time and acknowledging that she had one. At this moment, Kiera gave herself her voice and revealed it to others. While sharing her experience was an important step in Kiera’s overall story, it did not resolve her eating disorder. She continued to struggle with restricting and bingeing in secret, experiencing a taste of freedom only temporarily when she entered college. Surrounded by friends who had healthy relationships with food and their bodies, she was able to eat without concerns about weight and body. It was a “blindingly euphoric” time, she says. Unfortunately, additional comments about her weight triggered food and body concerns again. Immense fear returned to mealtimes, and darkness encroached upon her life. At this point, Kiera revealed to herself that she needed help. Despite the obstacles to seeking help, Kiera successfully advocated for the professional care her eating disorder required. Equipped with proper support, she pursued recovery while quarantining last year. She ditched the scale, journaled, and rethought her identity, relationship with food and body, and vocational plans. Born out of her recovery was Heavier Than I Look, her podcast which has transformed her plans for her future and kindled her sincere desire to amplify her and others’ voices. Listen to Heavier Than I Look on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and PodBean, and follow the show on Instagram and Twitter. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 42: Phototherapy as a Healing Technique with Shauna Frisbie Dec 16, 2020

Episode description: Dr. Shauna Frisbie is a Licensed Professional Counselor, an approved Supervisor for Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC-S), a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist (CEDS), and a National Certified Counselor (NCC). She has taught psychology, family studies, and counseling since 2001 and is currently a Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Lubbock Christian University. Shauna joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to discuss the value of sharing and discussing visual content in therapy. Her phototherapy techniques are described in her 2020 book, A Therapist’s Guide to Treating Eating Disorders in a Social Media Age. Images, Shauna explains, and the stories we attach to them provide insight into deep emotional processes and responses. “When I do phototherapy with clients, I’m really trying to help them explore the meaning behind these images,” she says. In treating images as communicators of meaning, she and other trained therapists can help facilitate emotional awareness and processing with clients. Shauna outlines how social media and smartphones have made images more relevant than ever, especially for young adults in a developmental stage of identity searching and relational skill development. For those susceptible to eating disorders, this increased exposure to images can be especially problematic. Shauna explains how phototherapy can help uncover how visual content impacts clients’ relationship to their bodies and/or sense of identity, as well as offer means of healing. Learn more about Shauna at drfrisbie.com, and find A Therapist’s Guide to Treating Eating Disorders in a Social Media Age at norton.com/author/22703/shaunafrisbie. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 41: Beyond Quasi-Recovery with Miranda Snyder Nov 30, 2020

**Content warning: This is one person’s story; everyone will have unique experiences in recovery and beyond. Some stories may mention eating disorder thoughts, behaviors, and symptoms. This episode includes mention of sexual assault. Please use your discretion when listening and speak with your support system as needed. Episode description: Miranda Snyder is a student in the Honors College at the University of Maine, where she is studying to be a high school ELA teacher. A strong proponent of storytelling-based advocacy, her past and current advocacy efforts emphasize the power of lived experience. The power of Miranda’s lived experience is on full display in this episode of Peace Meal. She shares with us her eating disorder story, charting it from illness to “quasi-recovery” to full recovery. When Miranda first underwent treatment for anorexia in eighth grade, she felt she had little say in the matter. She received ample support from friends, teachers, and friends, but her participation in care was more passive than active. Although she achieved nutritional rehabilitation, she continued to struggle with strict food rules and routines for the next several years. She lived in so-called “quasi-recovery.” “I figured, ‘This is as good as it’s gonna get,’ she says, reflecting on that time. “I would be doing the best I could and be achieving so well, but I would always have an ED in the back of my mind.” And then came a turning point. Earlier this year, Miranda realized that she is “worth so much more than a quasi-recovered life.” She entered treatment again, this time on her own terms as a 21-year-old. Miranda put her whole self into recovery, making it a project that received her full focus and dedication. She voraciously took notes in virtual “eating school,” relied on support from family and friends, and regularly journaled affirmations and plans for her future. In moving beyond quasi-recovery, Miranda has found space for things far more meaningful than disordered rules and routines. She’s better able to engage in coursework, research, and advocacy, she says, as well as relationships with others. She’s more present, more centered. She has claimed a sense of self rooted in her true values—and a life fully free from the leech that is an eating disorder. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 40: Faith-Based Recovery with Brittany Braswell Nov 18, 2020

Episode description: Brittany Braswell is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist (RDN) who runs a virtual private practice for those struggling with food and body image concerns. In both individual and group settings, she helps clients reduce their anxiety and disordered behaviors so that they can achieve lasting freedom from the bondage of their eating disorders. Brittany joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to explore recovery from a faith-based perspective. For many, she explains, faith is a belief system more powerful than an eating disorder, one in which people can trust when distancing themselves from their illness. To place trust in faith during recovery, Brittany emphasizes the importance of intentionality. “I think being able to reconnect to those values or to your faith is really about turning down the eating disorder volume and getting really intentional about identifying and listening for those healthy voices,” she says. As those healthy voices become louder in recovery, people can also strengthen their connection with their bodies and nutritional needs. Faith can augment a non-diet approach like intuitive eating, Brittany says, highlighting the alignment she sees between scripture and intuitive eating principles. She explores this connection in greater detail in her eBook, Faith Over Fear. A key to recovery—for people of faith and otherwise—is finding eternal worth and an identity separate from the eating disorder. “Once you know your worth and identity,” Brittany says, “place your identity in that thing that’s unshakeable.” To learn more about Brittany and her faith-forward approach to recovery, visit her website at brittanybraswellrd.com. There you can find her free eBook, Faith Over Fear: Ditch Food Rules and Nourish Your Body Without Guilt, information about the services she offers, and other resources. Brittany is also on Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 39: Overcoming Anorexia, Bullying, and Recovery Obstacles with Maddy Kit Nov 02, 2020

Episode description: Maddy Kit is a woman in recovery who is writing a book about her experiences with anorexia and other obstacles. She hopes to share her story with the world to help anyone going through something similar. Maddy joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to share her recovery story. She tells us first about developing anorexia at nine years old and the barriers to care she experienced at this young age. She then reflects on how her eating disorder evolved in the context of bullying and isolation, as well as a severely traumatic event in high school. Though her illness was not a choice, she notes how it did provide some short-term comfort and illusory control in the face of these painful experiences. She then goes on to describe how she came to accept eating disorder care. Initially resistant to it, she understands recovery now as a life-saving experience, one that has allowed her to realize her worth beyond her body and to pursue interests like writing, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 38: Boxing, Weight Cutting, and Eating Disorder Recovery with Mark Schindler Oct 21, 2020

Episode description: Mark Schindler is an NBA writer and podcaster for SB Nation and his co-created site, Premium Hoops. Mark joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to reflect on his eating disorder experience, particularly as it relates to his pursuit of a professional boxing career. His food and body image concerns manifested in the sport and contributed to an eating disorder that extended far beyond it. Sharing how his illness compromised both his physical and mental well-being, Mark warns of the dangers of weight-cutting and offers a definition of health that encompasses more than appearance. Strewn throughout the episode are meaningful words of advice and comfort for those considering recovery. Find Mark on Twitter @MSchindlerNBA. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 37: Binge Eating Disorder and Anorexia as Long-Kept Secrets with Susan Burton Oct 05, 2020

Episode description: Susan Burton is an editor at the public radio program This American Life and a former editor of Harper’s. Her radio documentaries have won numerous awards, and her writing has appeared in Slate, The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, and others. Susan’s debut book, Empty: A Memoir, is out now from Random House. In this episode of Peace Meal, Susan tells us about Empty, a personal story of her eating disorders long kept hidden. In describing her experience with binge eating disorder (BED) and anorexia, she poignantly recounts how the illnesses felt both destructive and protective, both safe and stifling. They functioned in part, she says, as ways to cope with longing and a deep desire for human connection. Understanding now that BED and anorexia were equally harmful and isolating, Susan shares myriad lessons from the perspective of someone still recovering. In this liminal space of recovery, she continues to learn how to sit with discomfort, balance emotional highs and lows, and practice self-compassion with the help of therapy and family support. Empty is available at local bookstores and on Amazon. Connect with Susan via her website, Instagram, or Twitter. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 36: Eating Disorder Recovery as a Non-Binary Person with Dev Seacrest Sep 16, 2020

Note: Since the recording of this episode, our guest has changed his name and pronouns to Dev, he/him. We respect and affirm that gender identity can continue to evolve over time. At the guest's request, the original audio will remain unchanged to reflect the conversation as it occurred. We are pleased to update this blog to honor Dev's current identity. Episode description: Dev Seacrest, Ph.D. (he/him) is a non-binary math professor who is passionate about advocating for mental health and showing that eating disorders affect a variety of people. In this episode of Peace Meal, Dev speaks to his eating disorder experience as a non-binary person. He shares how negative body image in early childhood morphed into anorexia in adolescence, and how body image continued to be relevant to his gender journey and eating disorder recovery. Crediting karate, self-advocacy, and social connection as important tools in recovering from his anorexia, he reflects on the progress he's made and offers strategies for others suffering. He also shares how the eating disorder community can be more gender-affirming and competent in the language we use and services we provide—a generous and important contribution given the disproportionate rates of eating disorders among trans and/or non-binary people. Contact Dev via email with any questions. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 35: Binge Eating Disorder at Midlife with Teresa Schmitz Aug 31, 2020

Episode description: Teresa Schmitz is the powerhouse coach behind mybestselfyet.com, a website and blog recently launched to help others define and become their best selves. She discovered her own best self while in recovery from a midlife eating disorder. Teresa joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to share her eating disorder experience, including the personal, professional, and age-related factors that complicated her relationship with food. She tells us how providers have focused on weight throughout her life, encouraging various diets and appetite suppressants with the sole aim of weight loss. Then, Teresa says, a diagnosis of binge eating disorder finally connected her to meaningful care and community support. Eating disorder recovery has helped her redefine her relationship with food and her body, nurture her sense of self outside of career accolades, and restore her physical, emotional, and mental health. Learn more about Teresa on her website and connect with her on Instagram. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 34: The Role of Yoga in Eating Disorder Recovery with Lisa Wingårdh Aug 19, 2020

Episode description: Lisa Wingårdh is a yoga teacher based in Stockholm, Sweden. Fully devoted to helping others reconnect with their body and breath, she is especially passionate about eating disorder recovery given her personal experience with anorexia and bulimia. In this episode of Peace Meal, we discuss the role of yoga in eating disorder treatment and recovery. Lisa shares her journey to discovering yoga and describes the ways it has nurtured her body, mind, and soul. Speaking from experience and training, she explains the benefits of yoga to those healing from eating disorders as well as reasons people might find the practice intimidating or challenging. She also offers gentle advice for making sure our yoga practice remains self-compassionate and customized to our own needs and lives. Learn more about Lisa on her website, wingardhwellness.com, and find her on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. — Follow The Emily Program on: Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 33: Midlife Eating Disorders with Heidi Dalzell Aug 03, 2020

Episode description: Dr. Heidi Dalzell is a licensed clinical psychologist in the greater Philadelphia area with 25 years of therapy experience. She specializes in treating eating disorders and body image concerns, especially in women at midlife. Heidi joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to discuss midlife eating disorders. She explores the cultural, biological, and life-stage factors that make women susceptible to eating disorders at this point in life. Among them are societal appearance ideals of thinness and youthfulness, aging-related weight and shape changes, and changes in relationship roles and dynamics. Heidi explains the unique barriers midlife women face in seeking care, including shame, stigma, and lack of access to age-appropriate treatment, and then identifies how we can better serve this population. Emphasizing that recovery is possible, she encourages anyone struggling with an eating disorder to reach out for help. Learn more about Heidi on her website, talktogrow.com, and check out her Facebook support group, Eating Disorders at Midlife. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 32: Sharing Your Story for Eating Disorder Advocacy with Johanna Kandel Jul 15, 2020

Episode description: Johanna Kandel is the Founder and CEO of The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness, a national non-profit dedicated to eating disorders outreach, education, early intervention, and advocacy. Having recovered from an eating disorder herself, she is a passionate and prominent advocate for mental health and eating disorders legislation. In the last of our three-part series on eating disorder advocacy and policy, Johanna joins us to talk about the personal experience of advocacy. First she opens up about her own eating disorder, recovery, and journey to advocacy. She then describes how her closeness to the issue has fueled and challenged her advocacy efforts, how her professional and personal motivation has evolved over time, and how she focuses on opportunity instead of cynicism. Underscoring the importance of personal voices and lived experiences, she concludes by encouraging others to get involved. To sign up for the EDC Action Alerts mentioned in the episode, visit https://www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org/inner_template/get_involved/take-action.html. Learn more about The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness at allianceforeatingdisorders.com and about The Emily Program at emilyprogram.com or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. — Follow The Emily Program on: Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 31: The Eating Disorders Coalition with Chase Bannister Jul 06, 2020

Episode description: Chase Bannister, MDIV, MSW, LCSW, CEDS, is the president of the Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action (EDC), the federal advocacy organization that advances the recognition of eating disorders as a public health priority. In this episode of Peace Meal, Chase describes the EDC and its members, its mission and goals, and how it engages in eating disorders education and advocacy. He emphasizes the importance of community, strategy, and persistence in advocacy, as well as the immense power we have as constituents. He then explains two of the EDC’s current policy efforts, the Nutrition CARE Act and the SERVE Act, and offers easy ways we can get involved. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. — Follow The Emily Program on: Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 30: The Basics of Eating Disorder Lawmaking with Katrina Velasquez Jun 17, 2020

Episode description: Attorney Katrina Velasquez is the Founder and Managing Principal of Center Road Solutions, a public policy firm that works with the Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action (EDC) to advance eating disorders as a public health priority on Capitol Hill. Katrina takes us through the federal legislative process in this episode of Peace Meal. She outlines how ideas are introduced as bills, discussed and amended by committees, and ultimately voted on to become laws. Describing the influence of politics, timing, and leadership, she shows how the process can be lengthy and involved. Citizen participation, however, is vital and not as intimidating as it may seem. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. — Follow The Emily Program on: Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 29: Eating Disorders in College Athletes with Cece Muskovac Jun 01, 2020

Episode description: In this episode of Peace Meal, we chat with a Division 1 soccer player, Cece Muskovac, about eating disorders in student athletes. Cece shares how sports have impacted her relationship with food and body, and how her eating disorder once held captive the personality traits that make her a strong athlete. She describes how she came to appreciate, fuel, and listen to her body and find recovery with the support of her coaches and teammates. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. — Follow The Emily Program on: Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 28: Eating Disorder Treatment with Bronwen Clark May 20, 2020

Episode description: Bronwen Clark is a Los Angeles-based therapist and the author of Don’t Be Weird: A Memoir of Food and Feelings, a book that chronicles her journey through eating disorder treatment. In this episode of Peace Meal, Bronwen reflects on the client experience of treatment, including its rewards, challenges, and lasting impact. She explores lessons learned, the difficulty of transitioning between treatment centers and across levels of care, and the search for an identity outside of a diagnosis. She concludes by offering advice for those considering treatment now. Read more about Don’t Be Weird on The Emily Program’s blog, and find Bronwen @bforboundless on Twitter. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. — Follow The Emily Program on: Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 27: Eating Disorder Recovery Online with Lindsey Hall May 05, 2020

Episode description: In this episode of Peace Meal, writer Lindsey Hall reflects on the online recovery community, where she has shared the nitty-gritty details of eating disorder recovery for over six years. She describes how writing publicly about her experience has both protected and challenged her ongoing process of healing. To create a more compassionate, inclusive recovery community, Lindsey encourages us to practice vulnerability and grace when telling our stories and hearing those of others. Learn more about Lindsey on her blog, and find her on Instagram and Facebook. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode 26: Eating Disorders During Coronavirus with Thom Rutledge Apr 09, 2020

Episode description: Author and psychotherapist Thom Rutledge joins Peace Meal to discuss how people with eating disorders can prioritize recovery during the coronavirus pandemic. While “Ed”—the eating disorder—may try to co-opt the current cultural anxiety and changes in food, exercise, and environment for his purposes, Thom explains how we can intervene. With the support of others, we can reclaim our power and use the situation as an opportunity to strengthen our recovery efforts. Thom Rutledge, LCSW, is the author of Life without Ed (with Jenni Schaefer), as well as Embracing Fear, The Self-Forgiveness Handbook, and more. Learn about Thom and his work at thomrutledge.com, and find him on Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. — Follow The Emily Program on: Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 25: Eating Disorders and the Family with Chrissy Cahill Apr 06, 2020

Episode description: In this episode, author Chrissy Cahill recounts her daughter Alexandra’s battle with anorexia. Alex struggled with the eating disorder for 18 years and ultimately died from it at the age of 33. Following Alex’s death, Chrissy gained entry into her daughter’s private, painful world through Alex’s writings. Chrissy published these writings to educate others about life with an eating disorder, weaving them into a book called Fatal Reflection. Chrissy chronicles her experience of writing the book, describes the loving, strong person Alex was, and shares how the eating disorder affected the different members of her family. Find Fatal Reflection on Barnes & Noble and other online booksellers. Learn more at https://www.austinmacauley.com/author/chrissy-cahill. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. — Follow The Emily Program on: Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 24: Eating Disorder Advocacy with Kitty Westin Mar 18, 2020

Episode description: Kitty Westin is an internationally known advocate for those with eating disorders. Since losing her daughter Anna to anorexia in 2000, she has worked tirelessly and tenaciously to improve access to eating disorder care. In this episode Kitty reflects on two decades of advocacy, including her role in creating treatment centers, a non-profit organization, and the historic Anna Westin Act, the first eating disorders legislation passed into federal law. Honoring Anna’s spirit throughout, she encourages others to voice their own experiences to create change. Learn how you can get involved at eatingdisorderscoalition.org. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. — Follow The Emily Program on: Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 23: Raffaela’s Story Mar 02, 2020

Episode description: When an eating disorder affects a child or adolescent, it affects the child’s parents and caregivers as well. In this episode, Raffaela discusses the impact of her daughter’s eating disorder on her family. She describes how she continues to fight alongside her daughter, navigating treatment and the challenges associated with it. She addresses the confusion, isolation, frustration, and exhaustion commonly felt in this situation, and emphasizes the importance of patience, self-care, and a strong support system. To underscore the importance of support systems, Raffaela would like to thank those who have supported her family in her daughter’s journey toward recovery. "Thank you to all of our family, friends, and organizations for your loving support," she says, "We could not do this without you." John & Anita Vacchio Nicholas & Janet DiStasio Joe & Josephine & Giovanna Tarulli Gino & Debbie Farone Jeff & Marissa West Laura Turner Paul & Heather Hemmer Shawn & Jen Drogen Mary Jo & Sage Daughton Earl & Ginny Wensel Michelle Morales & Family Ronald McDonald of Connecticut Prime Care/Easter Seals of NY Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. — Follow The Emily Program on: Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 22: Olivia’s Recovery Story Feb 03, 2020

Episode description: Peace Meal’s Recovery Series features stories of those in eating disorder recovery in hopes of starting conversations, breaking stigmas, and encouraging healing. In this episode, we talk to Olivia McNeil. Olivia is a youth group leader from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. She is passionate about helping and supporting others with their mental health journeys and spreading awareness about eating disorders. Olivia reflects on her own experience with eating disorder illness and healing. She describes her process of seeking help and achieving full recovery, and how she continues to protect this recovery. You can find us at The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. https://www.emilyprogram.com/ -- Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Make Peace With You – A Live Podcast with Jessie Diggins and Jana Shortal Nov 03, 2019

We had a fantastic time at The Emily Program's first live podcast event, Make Peace With You! Our discussion covered topics of perfectionism, social media, and eating disorder recovery. Episode description: Make Peace with You is a special live episode of Peace Meal focused on stories of embracing individuality and practicing self-acceptance. On November 2nd, host Dr. Jillian Lampert talked with Olympian Jessie Diggins and journalist Jana Shortal about how they learned to come to terms with body image issues and other challenges. — Episode show notes: Jessie Diggins was riding in her parents' ski backpacks before she could walk. Jessie has gone on to have a distinguished career in cross-country skiing, earning several honors for her sport, including a gold medal in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. In 2018, Jessie revealed that had struggled with an eating disorder as a teenager, which set off a national conversation about eating disorders in athletes. By partnering with The Emily Program and WithAll, Jessie hopes she can change the narrative around body image and create a more positive, affirming society for people of all shapes, sizes and identities. "Let's try to focus not on what our bodies look like, but rather what they can DO," Jessie has said. Jana Shortal is a reporter and co-anchor of "Breaking the News" on KARE 11. An accomplished journalist, Jana has won five regional Emmys in her career and is a member of the National Association of LGBTQ Journalists. Jana made headlines herself earlier this year when she spoke out on NBC's TODAY show about breaking the "unofficial dress code" for female on-air reporters and embracing her true sense of style. "Maybe because of me somebody will watch and say, 'I want to do that," she told TODAY. "And they won't think that they have to be somebody else because they saw me." During the podcast, we covered topics including why it's important that we don't expect perfection of ourselves, how to not live for "likes" on social media, and how pursuing recovery for an eating disorder can help us live our best lives. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. https://www.emilyprogram.com/ -- Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 19: Rachel’s Recovery Story Oct 17, 2019

Episode description: Peace Meal’s Recovery Series aims to share stories of those in eating disorder recovery in hopes of starting conversations, breaking stigmas, and encouraging healing. On today’s episode, we talk to Rachel Moe. Rachel has struggled with anorexia, bulimia, exercise addiction, and substance use disorder. Now a registered nurse, Rachel leads an eating disorders anonymous meeting in Duluth, Minnesota. — Episode show notes: Rachel Moe started using eating disorder behaviors in junior high. Rachel reflects on the years she spent struggling with her dual diagnosis of an eating disorder and substance use disorder until some significant turning points forced her to reach out for help. Rachel describes how embracing vulnerability and self-compassion helped her find her way through the recovery process. An alum of The Emily Program, Rachel is passionate about sharing her story and creating support systems for others who are struggling. In the episode, Rachel says “I realized that if I put half the amount of energy into my eating disorder into my recovery, I could do amazing things.” You can find us at The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. https://www.emilyprogram.com/ -- Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 18: The Minnesota Starvation Experiment Sep 30, 2019

Episode description: Ancel Keys’ Minnesota Starvation Experiment was a 1944-1945 study where 36 men voluntarily starved themselves to aid researchers in discovering ways to help those affected by the war recover from starvation. While the study shed light on starvation recovery, it also became an important study in the eating disorder field. Susan Swigart, an Emily Program psychiatrist, explains why. — Episode show notes: Susan Swigart completed her psychiatry residency and child psychiatry fellowship at the University of Minnesota and is currently a psychiatrist at The Emily Program. Susan is open about having an eating disorder when she was a Division 1 gymnast in college, which she says led her to have a special interest in working with athletes. In addition to this, Susan co-authored the follow-up investigation of the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. The Minnesota Starvation Experiment was conducted by Dr. Ancel Keys and took place at the University of Minnesota. This study aimed to look at the effects of starvation on health and to take that information and use it to help those affected by the war in Europe recover from starvation. The study was made up of 36 male volunteers. These 36 men were directed to lose 25% of their body weight to mimic the conditions of people in Europe. There were three parts to the study: a control period of diet adjustment to meet the individual’s ideal body weight, a six-month semi-starvation phase with the goal of dropping 25% of body weight, and a three month refeeding and rehabilitation period. During the entire study, the men were expected to maintain their normal lives. While the study was beneficial for those suffering from the war, it was also incredibly useful to eating disorder treatment specialists and researchers. The study found that 32 of 36 men were successful in losing 25% of their body weight. The four men who discontinued the study did so for various mental health reasons. Two had to be hospitalized due to negative emotional and psychological states. One struggled with binge eating and began eating from the garbage. Another became a compulsive gum chewer. Out of the men who completed the study, an additional five men had serious psychiatric symptoms. This proves that starvation can greatly affect one’s overall wellbeing and drastically change their outlook. These are only some of the negative effects that the men experienced during and after the starvation study. Due to these findings, the study proved to be useful for eating disorder research and treatment—and a follow-up study was completed. Susan Swigart discusses how she came to be a part of the follow-up study and how the follow-up study contributed to additional eating disorder research. From this second study, researchers learned about the long-lasting effects of starvation and changed our understanding of eating disorders. You can find us at The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. https://www.emilyprogram.com/ Blog image courtesy of the Keys Collection, CVD History Archive, School of Public Health -- Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram ** Blog image courtesy of the Keys Collection, CVD History Archive, School of Public Health.**

Episode 17: Abbie’s Recovery Story Sep 18, 2019

Episode description: Peace Meal’s Recovery Series aims to share stories of those in eating disorder recovery in hopes of starting conversations, breaking stigmas, and encouraging healing. On today’s episode, we talk to Abbie Scott. Abbie suffered from an eating disorder during her youth, continued on to pursue recovery, and now helps others who have struggled in her career as a registered dietitian. — Episode show notes: Abbie Scott is a Registered Dietitian at The Emily Program’s Anna Westin House in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She is passionate about eating disorder prevention, yoga, and helping others develop positive food-body relationships. In addition, Abbie holds her 200-hour registered yoga teacher certification and has completed multiple trainings on the intersection of yoga, food, and body image. Abbie was officially diagnosed with the eating disorder EDNOS (now known as OSFED) when she was a preteen. Abbie discusses how comments she heard about losing weight, smaller being better, and problematic compliments affected the development of her eating disorder. These negative comments and body-based praise led Abbie to start restricting the types of food she would consume. This then turned into the micromanagement of everything she consumed. As Abbie’s weight dropped, her mom brought her to a therapist to discuss her food judgments and behaviors. She was eventually referred to a hospital-setting where the providers treated all types of mental illness and were not specialized in eating disorder treatment. This led Abbie to have a memorable experience that she states, “Scared her into recovery,” though she wishes she could have experienced more tailored treatment. Following her care at the hospital and ongoing therapy, with the support of her mom, Abbie began recovery. From therapy, Abbie began to untangle her food judgments and behaviors, while finding new ways to adapt and maintain a healthy lifestyle. After her recovery, Abbie pursued a degree in nutrition, which led her to The Emily Program. Abbie has been a dietitian since 2013 and says working with eating disorders was always her passion. To those struggling, Abbie says, “No matter what your eating disorder voice is telling you, it’s not the only answer. Yes, recovery is challenging but it does get easier.” You can find us at The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. https://www.emilyprogram.com/ -- Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 16: What is Healthy Activity? Sep 02, 2019

Episode description: Exercise in eating disorder recovery is a hotly disputed topic. What type of activity is positive? When does activity become disordered? Is there a place for intense exercise in recovery? The Emily Program’s Director of Nutrition, Shena Washburn, joins Peace Meal to answer these questions and more. — Episode show notes: Shena Washburn is the Director of Nutrition at The Emily Program, where she oversees nutrition and food services programming. Shena is a former dance instructor and is passionate about helping those in recovery find food and body peace. We start this episode by discussing what types of exercise can be a risk factor for the development of eating disorders—key sports being gymnastics and cross country. Shena explains her preference for using the word movement over exercise because exercise implies control. Movement, on the other hand, can include any type of activity where your body is moving and it is a fluid term with little constraint. When understanding if exercise is excessive, one can ask certain themselves questions. Why am I playing this sport? What am I hoping to gain? Am I nourishing my body? How would I feel if I wasn’t able to do the activity one day? Do I feel pressure to look one way? By reflecting on the answers to these questions, individuals can learn about their food-body relationship and understand if it is negative and disordered. In addition to excessive exercise, there is also exercise avoidance. Individuals who are exercise-resistant often avoid exercise due to a dislike of movement, discomfort with their appearance or the social setting, and/or body trauma. For these individuals, eating disorder treatment and tailored therapy can be particularly helpful at addressing the root causes and behaviors. Shena wraps up the podcast by discussing how individuals can find a proper level of activity and what she recommends to those in recovery. Shena recommends that those struggling from food, body, or exercise issues should seek specialized care and be very aware of the intentions behind their activities. Shena believes the purpose of movement should be joy and purpose. You can find The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. https://www.emilyprogram.com/ -- Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 15: Hannah’s Recovery Story Aug 21, 2019

Episode description: Peace Meal’s Recovery Series aims to share stories of those in eating disorder recovery in hopes of starting conversations, breaking stigmas, and encouraging healing. On today’s episode, we talk to Hannah Johnson. Hannah developed anorexia during high school and found that it was exacerbated by society and stress. Hannah shares her recovery story and words of wisdom to those currently in treatment. — Episode show notes: Hannah Johnson is a Food Service Assistant at The Emily Program’s Toogood location in Minnesota. Hannah has her Bachelor’s degree in dietetics from the University of Wisconsin-Stout and she is actively pursuing her credentials to be a registered dietitian. In high school, Hannah saw a photo of herself playing lacrosse that caused her to pick apart her body and start losing weight. In addition to negative body image, an unhealthy relationship and a stressful job contributed to Hannah developing anorexia. After struggling with anorexia over the summer, Hannah’s family started talking to her about her eating habits and body image. After talking to a family friend that also struggled with an eating disorder, Hannah realized she had a problem and needed help to get better. During recovery, Hannah made an effort to reach out to friends and family that could be there to hold her accountable during recovery. In addition, she focused on eating well and exercising an appropriate amount. With support from those around her and an understanding of eating disorders, Hannah found recovery and went on to pursue a dietetics degree. While in school, Hannah realized that she enjoyed working in the mental health field, which led her to The Emily Program. Hannah says recovery is worth it because she can finally live without fear or concern about her body. At the end of the episode, she gives her best advice to those currently struggling with an eating disorder—seek treatment. You can find us at The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. https://www.emilyprogram.com/ -- Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 14: Eating Disorders Aren’t Just a Thin White Woman’s Disease Aug 05, 2019

Episode description: Eating disorders affect everyone. Unfortunately, one major eating disorder stereotype is that the illnesses only affect thin, white women, leaving men, nonbinary folx, and BIPOC on the outskirts of the conversation. To discuss this stereotype, the reality, and what we can do to work against the incorrect assumptions around eating disorders, we talk to Emily Program therapist Jamila Helstrom. — Episode show notes: Jamila Helstrom is a Pre-Independent Licensed Therapist at The Emily Program. She began working with adolescents and their families at the residential level of care and now works with adults in both outpatient and intensive day treatment settings. Her formal education is from the University of Saint Thomas, but her life experiences working with individuals in eating disorder recovery has taught her the most. Outside of work, she enjoys being a newlywed, listening to music, and speaking Spanish. Jamila joins this episode of Peace Meal to discusses eating disorder stereotypes, culture, and how to facilitate lasting recovery for all individuals. Jamila has conducted research on eating disorders in the Latin American community and African American populations to learn more about how eating disorders affect non-white individuals. This research demonstrated that all individuals, across populations, can be affected by eating disorders, however, not all of these individuals are seeking care due to stereotypes and lack of treatment accessibility. We discuss how stigma prevents individuals from seeking eating disorder care and how it also renders some providers unable to spot eating disorders in people of color. Jamila explains that medical training is largely dependent on what is tangible and detectable and that the measures used to assess disordered eating often fail to pick up on signs in minority populations. She suggests looking for signs such as family dynamics, trauma, societal pressures, and culture to detect eating disorders in minority populations. Some specific ways include being aware of co-occurring disorders, body displeasure, altered clothing choices, frequent bathroom trips, and more. We finish out the podcast discussing ways to promote inclusivity and acceptance in eating disorder treatment. Jamila believes in fostering productive client-relationships that allow each client to have a say in their treatment. By providing each individual with agency in their treatment, we can work to incorporate and understand different experiences while embracing culture as a tool of recovery. Jamila’s best advice to those in recovery is to share your story and to know that recovery is difficult. She hopes folks always remember that there is a community around them—from family and friends to therapists and fellow recoverees. We cite statistics from NEDA in this episode. You can find us at The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. https://www.emilyprogram.com/ -- Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 13: Sarah’s Recovery Story Jul 17, 2019

Episode description: Peace Meal’s Recovery Stories series features voices of individuals in eating disorder recovery and beyond. This episode features Sarah Churchward, a professional writer and makeup artist. In her late teens, Sarah was diagnosed with both anorexia and chronic narcolepsy. She discusses the process of coming to accept her chronic illness while being in eating disorder treatment and how that process made her into who she is today. — Episode show notes: Sarah Churchward is a writer and professional makeup artist who lives in Washington. At the age of seventeen, she launched her own cosmetics line and started a blog called Thought Outlet, where she discusses various topics that she is passionate about. In February of 2018, Sarah ran into health issues, which forced her to take a hiatus from both work and school. Following disordered eating and a solo attempt at recovery, Sarah’s struggles spiraled into a full-blown eating disorder that led her to call The Emily Program and start treatment. In addition to her eating disorder diagnosis, Sarah was also diagnosed with the chronic illness narcolepsy with cataplexy. This illness left Sarah falling asleep in strange situations, having minor sleep attacks and confusion, and cataplexy—temporary muscle paralysis that is caused by strong emotions and stimuli. Sarah states her eating disorder got significantly worse after she was diagnosed with narcolepsy and that her symptom use increased. She attributes this worsening to the stress of being diagnosed with chronic illness, functional body dysmorphia (the feeling that her body was betraying her), and the stimulants used to lessen the severity of her narcolepsy. However, after starting treatment at The Emily Program, finding recovery, and learning successful coping skills, Sarah believes her body is absolutely perfect just the way it is. Today, Sarah acts as an advocate for those struggling with narcolepsy and encourages those suffering from chronic illnesses or eating disorders to seek support. Her advice to those struggling with a chronic illness is to stay educated and act as a self-advocate. For those in eating disorder recovery, Sarah says find faith, trust, and hope. You can find us at The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. https://www.emilyprogram.com/ -- Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 12: Eating Disorders and Athletes Jul 01, 2019

Episode description: Eating disorders in athletes are incredibly common but unfortunately, they often go unaddressed. NEDA estimates that eating disorders affected 62% of women and 33% of men who participate in aesthetic-based or weight-class sports. To discuss eating disorders in athletes and how we can help advocate for healthy living and recovery, former Vikings’ and current Twins’ dietitian Rasa Troup and recovered distance runner and advocate Jenny Scherer join Peace Meal. — Episode show notes: This episode of Peace Meal features two incredible women, Rasa Troup and Jenny Scherer. Rasa Troup is a former Olympian and licensed dietitian who has previously worked for the Vikings and is currently the Head Dietitian for the Minnesota Twins. Prior to working for the Twins and Vikings, Rasa worked with the Track and Cross Country teams at the University of Minnesota and was a dietitian at The Emily Program for over a decade. Jenny Scherer is a former college and professional distance runner who struggled with anorexia. She currently works with student-athletes and advocates for a greater awareness of and education on eating disorders in athletes. Rasa starts this episode by reflecting upon her Olympic career and how her professional career led her to the Minnesota Twins. Jenny found a career in working with athletes following her own recovery from the eating disorder anorexia. Jenny sought treatment at The Emily Program and worked with Rasa as her dietitian. Rasa and Jenny discuss the dietitian-client relationship and how Jenny’s desire to continue running informed her treatment. With the thought that food is fuel and that no food is good or bad, Jenny was able to maintain recovery with a new understanding of why she was running. Rasa also speaks to the relationship between eating disorders, nutrition, and athletics. She discusses food insecurity and abundance, food-related shame, and how she works to help athletes be the best version of themselves. We wrap up this episode of Peace Meal by giving advice to coaches and teammates about how to productively address eating disorders and advocate for the wellbeing of all athletes. You can find us at The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. https://www.emilyprogram.com/ -- Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 11: Ken’s Recovery Story Jun 19, 2019

Episode description: Ken Capobianco is an award-winning music critic whose work has appeared in The Boston Globe, Billboard, The New York Times, and many more publications. While immersed in the rock and roll music scene, Ken found himself struggling with severe anorexia—for 30 years. Despite living with a severe eating disorder for all of those years, Ken found eating disorder recovery and wrote a book about his experience. — Episode show notes: Ken Capobianco is an award-winning music critic who dove headfirst into rock culture to find career success, all while struggling with the little known illness anorexia. Ken suffered from anorexia for 30 years until it became so severe that he had a stroke that nearly killed him. While immersed in rock and roll culture, Ken found himself eating healthy, which eventually spiraled into full-blown anorexia. While he was “horrified” by how sick he became, Ken found himself using anorexia as an identity and he “enjoyed being thin.” After years of anorexia, Ken knew he needed help and started therapy. However, at the time, providers didn’t understand how to treat anorexia in men and Ken was left lacking proper treatment. Ken believes his anorexia had to do with control, self-esteem, but also a fear of letting go. Without eating disorder care, Ken suffered from anorexia for three decades until he had a stroke that landed him in the hospital unable to feel the left side of his body. At that point, he decided he had nothing left to lose and began eating and recovery. Recovery was challenging for Ken, especially due to the lack of informed care for males at the time. However, Ken was able to recover from anorexia and he now says his “neuroses around eating has passed.” Currently, Ken lives with his wife and just published a book called Call me Anorexic: The Ballad of a Thin Man. You can find us at The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. https://www.emilyprogram.com/ -- Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 10: Binge Eating Disorder and Weight Bias Jun 03, 2019

Episode description: Weight bias is the negative attitudes, beliefs, assumptions, and judgments toward individuals because of their weight. Abbie Scott and Maggie Meyers of The Emily Program join Peace Meal to discuss the reality of weight stigma in relation to individuals with binge eating disorder (BED)—and what we can do to break the stigma and better help individuals who are struggling with BED. — Episode show notes: Episode 10 of Peace Meal features Abbie Scott and Maggie Meyers. Abbie Scott is a registered dietitian at The Emily Program who is passionate about eating disorder prevention, mindful movement, and Health at Every Size. Maggie Meyers is a site director at The Emily Program who is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy. Maggie Meyers kicks off the episode by discussing what binge eating disorder is and why it is a complex disorder that isn’t just about overeating. For those suffering from binge eating disorder, experience with weight bias is extremely common. Examples of weight bias include providers dismissing overweight clients with BED by advising them to go on a diet, clothing stores only carrying certain sizes, and the size of airplane seats. In response to weight bias came the Health at Every Size movement (HAES). HAES celebrates body diversity and supports people of all sizes to find healthy behaviors that work for their wellbeing. HAES promotes the critical awareness of body diversity and challenges stigmas about weight, size, and eating disorders. Abbie Scott reinforces HAES by explaining that medical providers receive medical information about clients like BMI and height, but that it is vital to note an individual’s behavior around food, body, and activity. Understanding these behaviors is crucial in eating disorder diagnosis and treatment because you cannot tell by looking at someone if they have an eating disorder or what diagnosis they would have. Abbie and Maggie wrap up this episode by discussing why healthy individuals come in all different sizes and how communities can work to promote wellness and body acceptance. Per Abbie’s recommendation, you can watch Poodle Science here. You can find us at The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. https://www.emilyprogram.com/ -- Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 9: Jessie Diggins’ Recovery Story May 15, 2019

Episode description: Olympic gold medalist and eating disorder recovery advocate Jessie Diggins joins Peace Meal to share her recovery story. Plagued with bulimia in her late teens, Jessie found eating disorder recovery at The Emily Program and continued on to find Olympic success in skiing. — Episode show notes: Jessie Diggins is an Olympic athlete and gold medalist in cross-country skiing who has won numerous other medals and honors at various championships around the world. In high school, Jessie suffered from bulimia, an eating disorder classified by the consumption of food followed by purging behaviors. Jessie kicks off this episode of Peace Meal by sharing what it was like to grow up in Minnesota, where she accompanied her parents on ski trips at a young age and quickly found herself on the high school ski team. Despite being surrounded by positive encouragement from her parents and peers, Jessie found herself struggling with an eating disorder due to the pressure of maintaining a lean, athletic body. Shortly after graduating high school, Jessie purged for the first time. She describes this experience by saying that it was when she first realized she had a problem. Even though Jessie knew her behavior was problematic, she was embarrassed and didn’t want to tell anyone due to fear of being judged. Luckily, Jessie’s parents knew something was wrong and confronted her about her behaviors and encouraged her to start treatment at The Emily Program. Jessie’s eating disorder wasn’t about eating at all. It was about having control. In treatment, Jessie was able to develop coping skills and healthy emotional regulation skills. While treatment was “the hardest thing [she’s] ever done,” Jessie was able to find recovery and shortly after, win an Olympic gold medal. After winning gold, Jessie knew she needed to use her platform for good and decided to partner with The Emily Program to raise awareness about eating disorders and encourage others to find recovery. Jessie wraps up the episode by answering listener questions and telling us what’s on tap for the rest of 2019. You can find Jessie Diggins here and learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. https://www.emilyprogram.com/ -- Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 8: The Neurobiology of Eating Disorders May 06, 2019

Episode description: Accanto Health's Vice President of Communications and Brand, Dr. Jillian Lampert, joins Peace Meal this week to discuss eating disorders and the brain. Dr. Lampert educates listeners on the two experiences of eating and how they play into each type of eating disorder. We wrap up the episode by comparing the brains of those with eating disorders to the brains of individuals who are unaffected by the illnesses. — Episode show notes: Dr. Jillian Lampert is the Vice President of Communications and Brand for Accanto Health and the co-founder of the Residential Eating Disorders Consortium. Dr. Lampert has a Master’s degree in nutrition and a Doctorate degree in nutrition and epidemiology. In addition to this, she is also the author of numerous book chapters and articles discussing eating disorders and she regularly speaks nationally about eating disorder related topics. In this episode, we cover the brain’s “wanting” and “liking” systems and discuss how our experiences differ based on our neurobiology. We discuss an fMRI study that sheds light on how the brain plays into eating and eating disorders. This study found that those with anorexia have a quieter wanting system for food than those without the eating disorder. The study also provides evidence in support of the idea that individuals with binge eating disorder experience a high level of wanting and low level of liking, which results in a high desire to eat but a lower satisfaction upon eating. By understanding the neurobiology behind eating disorders, Dr. Lampert discusses how we can spot eating disorder risk factors at a young age. We wrap up the episode by discussing the ins and outs of eating disorder recovery and how developing management skills can help individuals in recovery. You can find us at The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. https://www.emilyprogram.com/ -- Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 7: Kristine’s Recovery Story Apr 17, 2019

Episode 7: Kristine’s Recovery Story Episode description: (TW: Rape). Peace Meal’s Recovery Series aims to share stories of those in eating disorder recovery in hopes of starting conversations, breaking stigmas, and encouraging healing. Kristine Irwin is a mother, advocate, and a survivor of rape and bulimia. It has been 14 years since her rape and she has been free of bulimia for 11 years. Kristine has taken time to heal and grow, which lead her to write the book Voices of Hope and start an organization against sexual assault called Voices of Hope. — Episode show notes: Kristine Irwin kicks off this episode of Peace Meal by reflecting upon her rape and discussing how she found healing in the aftermath. One of her pursuits towards healing was the creation of her book Voices of Hope. Voices of Hope is the story of the trauma and pain endured by Kristine, her family and friends, and those around her. Kristine shares how the process of constructing Voices of Hope was therapeutic and healing. In addition to discussing her assault and book, Kristine talks about her experience with bulimia. Kristine remembers receiving body messaging in high school that made her start to dislike her body. This judgment around appearance starting affecting Kristine around the same time that her grandmother passed away. Shortly after this, Kristine recalls starting bulimic behaviors. She admits that bingeing and purging was a way she could cope with her grandmother’s passing and it gave her a sense of control over her life. Kristine also believes that her rape “affected her eating disorder and made it worse.” Kristine’s mother is the one who pushed her to start treatment for her bulimia, which ultimately led her to recovery. During her recovery, Kristine reflects on her fear of relapsing during pregnancy and how having children caused her to love and appreciate her body more. At the end of the podcast, Kristine shares her best advice to those suffering from an eating disorder—reach out for help. You can find us at The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. https://www.emilyprogram.com/ -- Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 6: Let’s Talk Nutrition! Apr 01, 2019

Episode description: Dietitian Bailey Weirens joins Peace Meal to discuss the truth behind nutrition and healthy eating. Bailey discusses the importance of calories, why macro and micronutrients are important, and what recovery meal plans are. By advocating for an anti-diet approach to nutrition and promoting body acceptance, Bailey enlightens listeners on the importance of listening to our bodies in order to sustain long-term health and wellbeing. — Episode show notes: Bailey Weirens is a registered dietitian who works at The Emily Program’s Anna Westin House in Minnesota. Bailey believes in an anti-diet approach to body acceptance and looks forward to starting a nutrition blog later in the year. Bailey describes nutrition as the act or process of being nourished in relation to the body’s dietary needs. She believes nutrition is person-specific, so what works for one person may not work for another. This is why eating disorder treatment centers offer individualized meal plans. “Let’s Talk Nutrition!” also addresses common health-related questions such as why we need calories and carbs and what macro and micronutrients are. Bailey talks about diet culture, meeting your body’s nutritional needs, and why meal plans are important in eating disorder treatment. Bailey finishes the podcast by advocating for an anti-diet approach to healthy living and the necessity of listening to what our body needs. Her final advice is to be patient—unlearning diet culture and weight stigma is challenging. For those struggling with diet culture or disordered eating, reach out to The Emily Program at 1-888-364-5977 for more information and support. About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. https://www.emilyprogram.com/ -- Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 5: Anna’s Recovery Story Mar 20, 2019

Episode description: This is the first episode in our new Recovery Series. The Recovery Series aims to share stories of those in eating disorder recovery in hopes of starting conversations, breaking stigmas, and encouraging healing. On this episode, host Claire Holtz sits down with Japanese-American singer-actor Anna Hashizume as she shares her story of healing. — Episode show notes: Anna Hashizume is a singer-actor and voice teacher in the Twin Cities. She has her undergraduate degree in music and theater and her Master’s Degree in music. After school, Anna decided to broaden her scope of performing and now does opera, musical theater, and plays. She has a YouTube channel under the name of Anna Miyuki where she strives to create a place where actors and singers can navigate the world of performing without feeling so alone. On the show, Anna shares how she first developed an eating disorder at 19 and how it changed her life. Anna shares the importance of her family in prompting treatment and how they were a driving force in her recovery. From starting treatment at Indiana University during the school year to attending The Emily Program during the summers, Anna learned ways to cope with her disordered eating and started developing a more healthy relationship with her food and body. Today, Anna is in eating disorder recovery and says the best part of recovery is peace of mind. She no longer spends time thinking about food or what she will eat and says that brain space now goes to all of the projects that she loves to pursue. She says this peace of mind allowed her to excel in what she really loves doing—performing and teaching. For those interested in Anna’s work, you can find her at her website, Instagram, or YouTube. You can find us at The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. https://www.emilyprogram.com/ -- Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 4: When the Fat Girl Gets Skinny with Blythe Baird Mar 04, 2019

Episode description: Spoken word poet and author Blythe Baird joins Peace Meal to discuss eating disorder recovery, using art as a vehicle to healing, and her latest book, “If My Body Could Speak.” Blythe shares with us the origin story of her eating disorder and how she found comradery (and fame!) in sharing her experience. — Episode show notes: This week’s episode features guest Blythe Baird. Blythe is an author, actor, and teaching artist whose work has been featured by Button Poetry, GLAMOUR, Elle, The Huffington Post, Everyday Feminism, and more. Blythe wrote her first poem when she was just shy of 17 and shortly after, wrote “When the Fat Girl Gets Skinny,” which quickly went viral on YouTube. Blythe performs the poem for us on Peace Meal and discusses what led her to create the popular piece. At the end of the episode, Blythe discusses her blog “Tips That Helped Me in Eating Disorder Recovery” and her favorite parts about recovery. You can find Blythe on the web, Facebook, or YouTube. You can also purchase her latest book, “If My Body Could Speak” here. For those struggling with food and body image, we hope that Blythe’s story helps you feel less alone. If you are ready to start recovery, reach out to The Emily Program at 1-888-364-5977. — About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. https://www.emilyprogram.com/ -- Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 3: The Diet Culture Machine Feb 04, 2019

Episode description: Diet culture is an insidious ideology that worships thinness, demonizes those that don’t adhere to the beauty standard, and oppresses those who are not viewed as “healthy.” Hilmar Wagner, a dietitian with a Master’s Degree in Public Health, joins Peace Meal to talk nutrition, diets, and why we’ve been evolutionarily conditioned to be preoccupied with food. — Episode show notes: Host Claire Holtz kicks off this month’s episode of Peace Meal by reflecting on the origins of diet culture. From abiding by a doctor’s health advice to losing weight and altering body shape, dieting has dramatically changed and created a system of beliefs referred to as “Diet Culture.” Hilmar Wagner defines diet culture as a system of beliefs that idolize thinness, promote weight loss, and oppress those who don’t meet the societal standard for beauty. While diet culture was predominately geared towards women, it is now starting to trend towards men as well. With diet culture targeting all individuals, we now see the rise of fad diets started in order to lose weight and change body shape. According to NEDA, those who engage in moderate dieting are 5x more likely to develop an eating disorder. Hilmar notes that there is nothing wrong or inherently bad about wanting to change your eating habits, but that some individuals are more susceptible to developing an eating disorder. For those at-risk individuals, dieting can be the trigger that leads them to an eating disorder. Hilmar wraps up the podcast by discussing ways to assess if a diet has turned into disordered eating and what to do about it. For those concerned about their eating habits or body thoughts, reach out to The Emily Program at 1-888-364-5977 for more information and support. Sources: Cellania, M. (2010, September 9). The History of Diets. Retrieved from https://www.neatorama.com/2010/09/09/the-history-of-diets/ Coe, A. (2017, September 15). William Howard Taft Is Still Stuck in the Tub. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/15/opinion/william-howard-taft-bathtub.html Lynch, R. (2015, February 28). A brief timeline shows how we're gluttons for diet fads. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-diet-timeline-20150228-story.html Roepe, Lisa Rabasca. (2018, March 5). The Diet Industry. Retrieved from http://businessresearcher.sagepub.com/sbr-1946-105904-2881576/20180305/the-diet-industry Sifferlin, A. (2013, October 15). The President Taft diet: Learning from America's heaviest leaders. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2013/10/15/health/president-taft-diet-time/index.html Wdowik, M., & Food Science and Human Nutrition. (2018, September 19). The long, strange history of dieting fads. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/the-long-strange-history-of-dieting-fads-82294 (2018, November 21). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieting About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information. https://www.emilyprogram.com/ -- Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode 2: Eating Disorders 101 Jan 07, 2019

Eating disorders are confusing and complex. On this month's episode, host Claire Holtz sits down with Emily Program Site Director Jennifer Nelson to discuss what eating disorders are and what we can do to help those affected. -- Episode show notes: In this episode of Peace Meal, we discuss what eating disorders are, what to do if we are worried about ourselves or a loved one, and how to support those in recovery. Emily Program Site Director Jennifer Nelson answers the most common questions asked by those considering eating disorder treatment and offers advice to support people. About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking. -- Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram -- You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? We are currently looking for those in eating disorder recovery to participate in our Recovery Stories episodes. Email podcast@emilyprogram.com if you would like to share your story on Peace Meal.

Introducing Peace Meal Dec 20, 2018

On the first episode of Peace Meal, host Claire Holtz talks to the founder of The Emily Program, Dirk Miller. Dirk shares how his recovery from alcoholism and bulimia set him on a mission to help others who are struggling. -- About the podcast: Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast hosted by Claire Holtz. Peace Meal covers topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society contributes to distorted thinking. New episodes are available the first Monday and third Wednesday of every month. https://www.emilyprogram.com/ -- Category: Health, Society & Culture -- Language: English -- Follow The Emily Program on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram Twitter: @emilyprogram Instagram: @emilyprogram

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