Behind The Bite

In this inspiring episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Alli Bollinger, a former Radio City Rockette who turned her struggle with an eating disorder into a platform for healing. Alli shares how her lifelong identity as "the dancer" became a double-edged sword during her collegiate BFA program, where innocent health goals spiraled into a restrictive and isolating illness. After a life-altering intervention by her professors and a necessary environmental reset during the pandemic, Alli achieved the ultimate full-circle moment: performing on the world’s most famous stage while fully recovered. Now an eating disorder recovery coach, Alli explains the mental shifts required to reach elite professional heights and why she believes the hardest chapters of our lives often prepare us for our greatest triumphs.

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In this enlightening episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Registered Dietitian Colleen Christensen to unpack the confusing landscape of "food freedom." Many individuals escaping the clutches of diet culture find themselves swinging from rigid restriction to a state of rebellion where they feel out of control with food. Colleen explains why this "pendulum swing" is a normal part of the process and introduces the solution: finding a sustainable middle ground. By marrying the principles of intuitive eating with the foundational science of nutrition, Colleen and Dr. Cristina discuss how to transition from a "no rules" rebellion into a life where food is no longer the center of your world, but rather a tool for nourishment and joy.

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In this moving episode of Behind the Bite, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Katie Kiliszewsk to explore a deeply personal journey through the shadows of anorexia and substance abuse. Katie opens up about the childhood roots of her eating disorder—from being teased by neighborhood kids to the damaging influence of a sports coach—and the sixteen-year battle that followed. They discuss the "all-in" mentality required for true healing, the difficult transition from using exercise as an escape to using it as a source of joy, and how motherhood became the ultimate catalyst for her recovery. This episode is a powerful testament to the fact that no matter how long the struggle lasts, there is always light on the other side.

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In this insightful episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with psychotherapist Dana Colthart to explore the frequently overlooked connection between Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and eating disorders. While many view eating disorders as being strictly about food or willpower, Dana highlights how underlying traits like perfectionism, rigidity, and "black and white" thinking create a perfect storm for disordered eating. Listeners will learn how eating disorder behaviors often serve as a coping mechanism for OCD-related distress and why traditional talk therapy might not be enough without the inclusion of specialized exposure work. Whether you're a professional or someone on a personal recovery journey, this episode offers a roadmap for rewiring the brain’s fear response to find true freedom from rituals and rules.

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In this powerful episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Heidi McLachlan to discuss the devastating impact of being labeled "chronic" by the very experts meant to provide hope. Heidi shares her two-decade-long journey with anorexia, which began as a search for identity and quickly became a "safety net" that trapped her in a cycle of hospitalizations and despair. After years of being told that full recovery was impossible and that she simply had to "manage" her symptoms, Heidi reached a breaking point during her journey through motherhood. By shifting her perspective from being a "broken patient" to an empowered individual, and utilizing nervous system regulation and somatic work, Heidi finally found the sustainable recovery she was told would never happen. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who has been told they are a "lost cause" and is seeking proof that healing is always possible.

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Psychiatric medication is often one of the most misunderstood and emotionally charged aspects of mental health treatment, particularly when it involves children, adolescents, and eating disorders. In this insightful episode, host Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Dr. Peyman Tashkandi, a double board-certified psychiatrist, to demystify the role of medication in the recovery process. Dr. Tashkandi explains his human-centered approach to psychiatry, moving beyond "one-size-fits-all" prescriptions to look at the complex biosocial factors that influence a patient's health. Whether you are a parent fearful of the long-term effects of medication on a developing brain or an individual struggling with the medical complexities of an eating disorder, this conversation provides a grounded, expert perspective on why treatment must be comprehensive, collaborative, and deeply compassionate.

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In this enlightening episode of Behind the Bite, Dr. Cristina Castagnini welcomes back therapist and author Alli Spotts-De Lazzer to explore the often-misunderstood concepts of self-esteem and confidence. Many people spend years trying to "fix" themselves or chase higher self-esteem, only to find that their sense of worth remains a moving target. Alli introduces "self-acceptance" as the missing link and the necessary anchor that keeps us steady when shame, fear, or judgment arise. By shifting the focus from objective "improvement" to compassionate curiosity, Alli and Dr. Castagnini discuss how to navigate recovery, body neutrality, and the clinical realities of how nourishment affects our ability to think logically. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone feeling stuck in the cycle of self-improvement who is looking for a more stable path toward healing.

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In this powerful episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Eric Pothen to shine a light on the often-invisible struggle of eating disorders in men. For too long, societal stigmas and the "wellness" industry have allowed disordered behaviors in men to slip through the cracks, masked as fitness goals or masculine ideals. Eric shares his personal journey from struggling with an eating disorder to becoming a recovery coach, offering professional insight into the dangerous normalization of compulsive exercise and the "lean muscular ideal." Whether you are a man questioning your relationship with fitness or a loved one seeking to understand these complex dynamics, this conversation provides the validation and tools needed to challenge the "sick enough" myth and embrace a life of authentic recovery.

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In this powerful episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini welcomes back former U.S. Olympian and elite professional boxer Danny O’Connor to discuss the dangerous intersection of weight-class sports and eating disorders. Danny pulls back the curtain on his 15-year career, revealing how extreme weight cutting and binge eating became a normalized, secret struggle that eventually landed him in the ICU on the brink of a world championship fight. By sharing his journey from his 2013 "epiphany" to his current role as an advocate and author of Weight Class, Danny challenges the stigma surrounding male eating disorders. He explores the psychological shift from "discipline" to a total loss of control and offers a roadmap for recovery that emphasizes honest awareness, multifaceted professional support, and finding the "footholds" necessary to stay the course toward healing.

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In this powerful episode of Behind the Bite, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with trauma-informed, neurodivergent dietitian Chrissy Overstreet to discuss what happens when an eating disorder hides behind the mask of high achievement and a "normal" appearance. Chrissy opens up about how childhood bullying, generational diet talk, and the intense, grueling environment of the culinary industry perfectly camouflaged her restrictive eating and severe body image struggles for years. Together, they explore the difficult realization that your relationship with food isn't just "healthy living" but a true disorder, and how therapy, understanding neurodivergence, and decoupling self-worth from productivity can lead to true healing. If you've ever felt like your struggles weren't "bad enough" to deserve help, this episode will validate your experience and show you that a life free from food obsession is possible.

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