Life. Unrestricted. Podcast: Boost Your Body Image And Recover From Food & Exercise Madness.

Download Episode! Hey there, lovely radicals... podcast time! This week on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, I'm telling you about the shame we feel to be stuck in patterns of disordered eating, disordered exercise and our fears to break out of those patterns. It's not a coincidence that I should be talking about this in this week's episode; it's the humbling experience of the persistence of my own struggles and my own seeming inability to change certain behaviors for good. It's the painful realization that, for most of us – certainly for me – recovery isn't something "we just waltz through", even if we have all the expert's advice in our heads. Also, I'm in the mood for a little metaphor, inspired by my internal challenge. A little story about: – How we get tempted by the diet-siren's call – How our disordered eating thoughts convince us that recovery is too hard – How we get sucked into diet-cultures images, messages and false promises – How we often lose faith in ourselves and our strength – How we doubt

Download Episode! Hey there, lovely radicals... podcast time! This week on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, I get to talk to Amy Pence-Brown from Boise, Idaho. Amy describes herself as a fat feminist mother who believes in opening her mouth and her heart. From both of these places she tells stories – as a writer on her blog and other local & national publications, as a historian giving tours for Preservation Idaho, and as a visual artist creating subversive stitchings and performance pieces. She has a Master in Art & Architectural History, she has worked at many museums and has juried and curated numerous exhibitions. You might know Amy from her radical stand for self-love at the Capital City Public Market on August 29, 2015, in Boise, Idaho, or from her TED talk. Amy's message of self-love and the value of all bodies, no matter their size, went viral and has been written about by countless media outlets. You’ll hear Amy talk about: – How she remembers feeling about her body as a kid – How her chu

Download Episode! Hey there, lovely radicals... podcast time! This week on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, it’s time to call out the inner Gremlin voice and all its rules that it is constantly making up for us. Most of you might be familiar with those thoughts; the ones that tell us we have to be "on" all the time, that we "better pull ourselves together", that we have "to soldier on, no matter what", that we have "to power through", that it's our "duty to be productive", that we need "o prove our worth", that it's our job to always "be the responsible one", and that we – heaven forbid! – can never (ever!) be perceived as "a slacker"... Sound familiar? Now... wait a minute. Whose thoughts are these? Mine? Yours? No way! These are inner Gremlin thoughts. They are NOT truth. And in order for us to keep our sanity, and to take responsibility for ourselves and our wellbeing, we need to talk back to those Gremlin thoughts. We have to learn to let those Gremlin thoughts be just what they are: Thoughts. Not some

Download Episode! Hey there, lovely radicals... podcast time! This week on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, it’s not just vulnerability time, it’s not just real, raw badassery time, no, it’s also ... Well, it’s actually the most fun episode with the most unexpected circumstances I’ve ever had. Mix that with the incredible depth of the conversation, and you’ve got a pretty unique ride ahead of you. And the mission for this one is pretty simple: It is to say, hey, who ever you are out there, you are not alone, you are not crazy, you are not broken... Recovery is messy like that. Eating disorders really come in all shapes and sizes, and they take many forms for the sufferer too. So, lovely radicals, It is my extreme pleasure to bring you Jennifer Rollin, a professional psychotherapist in private practice in Rockville, Maryland. Jennifer is an eating disorder and body image specialist, and expert writer and speaker. She is passionate about helping people to find freedom from eating disorders and body-hatred.

Download Episode! Hey lovely radicals, podcast alert! This week on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, it’s my pleasure to talk to Andrea Wachter from California. Andrea is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the author of "Getting Over Overeating". She is also the co-author of "The Don’t Diet, Live-It Workbook" and "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Breaking the 'I feel fat' Spell", a book for kids who struggle with body image. Andrea is an inspirational counselor, author and speaker who uses professional expertise and her personal recovery to help others overcome their struggles with food, body image, exercise and weight. Today, you’ll hear Andrea talk about: – How she remembers feeling in her body as a child – How her parents related to food and weight – What made her feel ashamed about her body and got her to start dieting – How she hid her struggles with food from her family – Why she compares the way she related to food with the way a drug addict relates to drugs – Why she, as so many, believed "If

Download Episode! Hey, lovely radicals... podcast time! In today's episode of the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, I talk to Sarah Harry from Melbourne, Australia. Sarah is a psychotherapist, yoga teacher, researcher, writer and university lecturer. As a leading body image and eating disorders specialist and experienced clinician she has a refreshing perspective on bodies, weight, movement and inclusivity. Sarah was the first yogi in Australia to offer yoga for bigger bodies. She has practiced yoga for more than 20 years, and as the owner and founder of "Fat Yoga", she runs specialist classes and retreats. She is also co-director of "Body Positive Australia" (alongside Fiona Sutherland, whom I interviewed in episode 28). Sarah is a member of the Yoga and Body Image Coalition USA, sits on the National Advisory Board of Health at Every Size Australia and she is a member of the National Eating Disorders Coalition. Listen in as Sarah tells us: – How Fiona and herself started working together, and how "Body Positi

Download Episode! Hey, lovely radicals... podcast time! This week on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, I get to talk to Erica Leon from Westchester County, New York. Erica holds a Bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Cornell University and a Master’s degree in clinical nutrition from New York University. Erica works with clients all over the globe - by all technical means necessary -, people who struggle with food, their body, and people who want to overcome years of dieting or being stuck in disordered eating. She meets people where they are at and guides them to a better relationship to food and their body with a non-diet approach. She has 25 years of experience under her belt and her career has included working in hospitals, corporations and colleges. Ultimately combining all of her skills and interests, she established a private nutrition practice over 15 years ago. As a Certified Eating Disorders Registered Dietitian (CEDRD) she also volunteers on the Board of the International Association of Eating Di

Download Episode! Hey there, lovely radicals... podcast ahead! This week, on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, it’s my pleasure to talk to Chevese Turner from the Washington DC area. Chevese is the woman who almost 9 years ago founded the Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA) in June 2008, recognizing the need for an organization to advocate on behalf of individuals affected by Binge Eating Disorder (BED), as well as the providers who treat them. Turner’s well-rounded career in the health care, pharmaceutical, political and non-profit arenas, as well as her many leadership roles within these fields, prepared her to launch BEDA, the only organization specifically suited to support individuals and treatment professionals managing BED. Today, you’ll hear Chevese talk about: – How old she was when she lost the innocent, joyful, and non-judgmental attitude towards her own body – What drove her to start searching for, stealing and hoarding food – What every type of binging behavior stems from – How her mother

Download Episode! Lovely radicals, it's podcast time! This week on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, it’s my pleasure to talk to Jessica Setnick from Dallas, Texas. Jessica is an internationally known pediatric dietitian, an award-winning writer and she is training professionals to work in the field of eating issues. She is definitely the best sort of woman to talk to about the origins of our world's body image problem and our issues with eating and weight; Jessica is an icon in the eating disorder field. Her academic background is in human behavior and with her Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology and Sports Nutrition, she has become an expert in dysfunctional and disordered eating who has a unique ability to see what others might miss. As a Certified Eating Disorder Dietitian and Dietitian Supervisor, she has treated thousands of patients in the hospital and out, and she knows how to identify the underlying issues influencing patients’ eating. Jessica is the author of "The Eating Disorder Clinical Pock

Hey there, lovely radicals... up for a mind-stretching podcast? In today's episode of the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, I talk to Jessamyn Stanley from Durham, North Carolina. Jessamyn, as many of you know, is a yogi who breaks all the stereotypes. She has built a life as an internationally recognized yoga teacher and award-winning Instagram star by combining a deep understanding for yoga with a willingness to share her personal struggles in a way that touches everyone who comes to know her. Now she brings her body-positive, emotionally uplifting approach to yoga in a book that will help every reader discover the power of yoga and how to weave it seamlessly into his or her life. It’s called "Every Body Yoga", and just like herself, this book breaks all the stereotypes. You will hear Jessamyn share: – Where she thinks our self-consciousness about our bodies comes from – What it was that made her become dissatisfied with who she was and how her body looked – What brought her to yoga – What anxiety/depression

Download Episode! Hey there, lovely radicals... podcast ahead! In today's episode of the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, I am talking to Carolyn Costin from Malibu, California. Carolyn is a world-renowned clinician, author and speaker acclaimed for her expertise, passion and accomplishments in the field of eating disorders. She is a certified Eating Disorder Specialist and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. After having recovered from anorexia in her early 20s, Carolyn became a psychotherapist, and it was her successful treatment of those with eating disorders that led her to bring her philosophy to the public through her speaking and her books. In 1996, Carolyn created "Monte Nido", the first licensed, residential eating disorder treatment facility in a home setting that has since spurred into 14 facilities nationwide offering a continuum of care. Carolyn’s career is dedicated to lecturing, training, teaching and supervising clinicians, dietitians and physicians. Having left "Monde Nido" last year, s

Hey there, lovely radicals: Podcast ahead! This week on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, I get to talk to Elena Rossini from Como, Italy and Paris, France. Elena is a filmmaker, photographer, social entrepreneur and public speaker. Her latest film is called "The Illusionists", a feature-length documentary about the marketing of unattainable beauty ideals around the world. Filming locations included the United States, the UK, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Lebanon, India and Japan. The film has been featured in countless news outlets, and I hope it will be talked about for a long time. Elena has been taking "The Illusionists" on tour, showing it at the biggest companies in Silicon Valley (Apple, Facebook, Google, Twitter...) and at dozens of renowned universities in the United States and Europe. Apart from being a filmmaker, Elena is also the founder and editor-in-chief of "No Country for Young Women", a website whose aim is to provide positive role models for young girls. The site features over 100 interv

Download Episode! This week on the the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, we all have a chance to meet Dr. Stacey Rosenfeld from Coral Gables, Florida. Stacey is a clinical psychologist specializing in eating disorders and body image concerns. She also works with substance misuse, anxiety and mood disorders, infertility, and relationship difficulties. A certified group psychotherapist and certified eating disorder specialist, Dr. Rosenfeld has worked at various treatment centers and universities and now directs the "Gatewell Therapy Center" in Miami, Florida. Dr. Stacey Rosenfeld is the author of "Does Every Woman Have an Eating Disorder? Challenging Our Nation’s Fixation with Food and Weight", based on her award-winning blog of the same name. She is committing to helping people develop healthier relationships with food and their bodies. She is a member of the National Eating Disorder Association, the International Association for Eating Disorder Professionals, and the Academy for Eating Disorders, she lectures

Download Episode! Lovely radicals, let me make your ears happy: Podcast ahead! In today's episode of the "Life Unrestricted." podcast, I get to talk to Josée Sovinsky from Toronto, Canada. Josée is a Registered Dietitian with French Canadian roots, who, after facing and dealing with her own struggles with disordered eating during her degree, developed a passion to help those affected by eating disorders and mental illness. She now specializes in eating disorders, intuitive eating, community nutrition and seniors' health. She holds an Honors Bachelor in Nutrition Sciences from the University of Ottawa, and she has educated herself on topics such as body-acceptance, Health at Every Size and feminism, all topics that guide her work as a non-diet, weight-inclusive, body positive and dietitian whose dreams are similar to mine: We both want to see a world free from mental health stigma, body shaming, dieting and disordered eating, where people of all sizes deserve nourishment, wellbeing and happiness. You’ll hear

Download Episode! Hey there, lovely radicals: Podcast time! This week on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, I get to talk to Zoe McNulty from London, UK. Zoe had always dreamed of being a backing dancer on Top Of The Pops, but due to her being larger than a dancer "SHOULD" be, she avoided the commercial dance scene and the negative body image that she would – as she says – undoubtedly have developed. However, with the pressures of a thin-obsessed society, she still struggled with her body through much of her adult life, until she realized how much time she had wasted worrying about what others might think of her. These days, Zoe refers to herself as a champion of curves, and is honored to be an official Body Image Movement Global Ambassador, just like myself. Zoe works as a Top Dance Fitness Presenter, Group Exercise Teacher and Body Positivity Activist and calls herself "Headmistress of School of Strut". She specializes in helping women feel good about their figures, regardless of shape or size, through fu

Download Episode! Hey there, distinguished radicals - it's podcast time! In this week’s episode of the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, you’ll hear me talk to Kelsey Miller from Brooklyn, New York. Kelsey graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor's degree in Film & Television. She began her career in the film production industry before transitioning to full-time writing. Soon after joining the staff of the online magazine Refinery29, she created The Anti-Diet Project, one of the website's most popular franchises. She is currently a Senior Features Writer and of course she is the author of the wonderful memoir "Big Girl". Kelsey shares her story with us, and you’ll hear: – How old she was when she became convinced that there was something "wrong" with her body – How her mother related to her body and weight – How early she started restricting food and trying to become skinnier – How easy kids pick up even indirect comments about food and weight and internalize them – How her dream of becoming an act

In today’s episode, we all have a chance to meet Robyn L. Goldberg from Los Angeles. Robyn is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Eating Disorder Specialist. Over the last nineteen years, Robyn has developed her own private practice in Beverly Hills, where she specializes in disordered eating, eating disorders, HAES (Health at Every Size), medical conditions, preventative nutrition and pregnancy nutrition. Robyn serves as a Nutrition Consultant for the Celiac Disease Foundation and she currently is the eating disorder specialist at "The Control Center" and has several body image/eating disorder groups at "Sober Livings" in Los Angeles. Robyn also teaches the nutrition classes for the Motion Picture Wellness Program. She is a contributing author that has been quoted in countless publications, and she has made appearances on national TV shows as a nationally known speaker in the eating disorder community promoting positive body image, weight stigma and size diversity. In this talk, Robyn shares with us: – W

Hey there, lovely radicals... Podcast ahead! This week on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, I get to talk to Ragen Chastain from Los Angeles. Most of you know Ragen as the author of the fantastic blog "Dances With Fat", but she also wrote a book called "Fat: The Owner's Manual" and she is the editor of the multi-volume anthology "The Politics of Size - Perspectives from the Fat Acceptance Movement". Her blog "Dances With Fat" is followed by thousands of people from every continent around the world; men and women who are as fed up with weight-stigma as herself. Ragen describes herself as a professional speaker, writer, and real live fat person. She has spoken everywhere from friend's living rooms to Google Headquarters to Cal Tech and Dartmouth. She will not stop until we live in a world where the full diversity of body sizes is respected, and fat people are able to live in fat bodies without shame, stigma, bullying, and harassment. Today, you’ll hear Ragen talk about: – How she remembers herself as a kid –

Lovely radicals, podcast joy ahead...! This week, on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, we all have a chance to meet Beth Rosen. Beth is a Registered Dietitian in private practice in Southbury (Connecticut, USA) and virtually everywhere else. She subscribes to a non-diet philosophy to wellness and is a Health At Every Size® practitioner. Beth has an undergraduate degree in Dietetics, and a Master’s degree from Columbia University in New York City in Nutrition Education. She has been a Registered Dietitian for over 20 years. Currently, she works with chronic dieters who are struggling with the vicious cycle of dieting to ditch all diets, learn to eat fearlessly through self-regulation and Intuitive Eating principles, and respect and care for their bodies. As someone who knows how it is to live with serious food intolerances, she loves sharing recipes and food ideas for joyful eating. Being a mother, she also writes about parenting, sustainable living, gardening and crafting. In this talk, Beth shares with us:

Lovely radicals, it's show time again! This week, it’s my honor to welcome Judith Matz to the podcast. Judith is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 25 years of experience as a therapist who helps people make peace with food, their bodies, and themselves. As someone who knows the struggle of feeling out of control around food, she now specializes in the treatment of Binge Eating Disorder and compulsive eating. Judith is the director of the "Chicago Center for Overcoming Overeating", an organization dedicated to ending the preoccupation with food and weight through educational programs and workshops. She also loves public speaking and frequently presents at local and national conferences and meetings. Judith also is the co-author of two acclaimed books for adults called: "Beyond a Shadow of a Diet" and "The Diet Survivors Handbook" as well as a book on body image for kids called "Amanda’s Big Dream". Her work has appeared in countless media outlets, and today, here she is! Judith tells us: – How she r