Behind The Bite

By Cristina CastagniniHealth & Fitness Education

Behind The Bite episodes

March 19 Ep 278 The Kind of Healing That Makes Room For Real Life With Johanna Scoglio
In this poignant and eye-opening episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with author and mental health advocate Johanna Scoglio to discuss the often-overlooked realities of living with and healing from a long-term eating disorder. Johanna bravely shares how profound grief and family transitions at age 15 triggered her decades-long struggle with food restriction and compulsive exercise—a compulsion that was masked by her identity as a dedicated collegiate athlete. Together, they explore the devastating gaps in the medical system that leave patients discharged without referrals, the shame associated with non-linear recovery, and the life-changing power of a harm-reduction approach. If you’ve ever felt unseen by the system, trapped by the rigid "rules" of recovery, or struggled to separate joyful movement from punishment, Johanna’s story offers a deeply compassionate and empowering new perspective on what it means to truly heal.
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50 min
March 12 Ep 277 If It’s Not in the DSM, Is It Still an Eating Disorder? (Yes.) With Alana Van Der Sluys
In this episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Alana Van Der Sluys to discuss the often-overlooked struggle of undiagnosed eating disorders. Alana shares her personal battle with orthorexia, binge eating disorder, and atypical anorexia—conditions that were exacerbated by the "not sick enough" narrative and societal weight stigma. Together, they explore the dangerous cycle of weekday restriction and weekend bingeing, the flawed logic of the eating disorder brain, and the crucial importance of validating one’s struggle even without a formal diagnosis. This conversation offers hope and practical insights for anyone feeling trapped in food rules or questioning if their suffering is valid enough to seek professional help.
SHOW NOTES: Click here
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36 min
March 05 Ep 276 Eating Disorder Recovery After Trauma: The Long Road to Healing, Creativity, and Coming Back to Yourself With Alle C. Hall
In this deeply moving episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with author Alle C. Hall to explore the complex intersection of childhood trauma and eating disorders. Alle shares her candid 30-year journey of healing, discussing how creativity served as a lifeline when the weight of abuse felt insurmountable. They delve into the often-unspoken realities of relapse during major life transitions like postpartum depression and perimenopause, the nuances of navigating 12-step programs with a feminist perspective, and why recovery is rarely a straight line. This conversation offers hope and validation to anyone feeling like their healing journey is "messy" or taking longer than expected, reminding us that struggling does not erase the work we have already done.
SHOW NOTES: Click here
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33 min
February 26 Ep 275 When the New Food Guidelines Sound Like Your Eating Disorder With Stefanie Michele
In this episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Binge Eating Recovery Coach Stefanie Michele to discuss the alarming parallels between modern "wellness" food guidelines and eating disorder behaviors. They dismantle the fear-mongering around carbohydrates, the elitism of "clean eating," and the dangers of new inverted food pyramid trends that demonize essential macronutrients. Stefanie shares her personal 25-year battle with eating disorders and how she finally found recovery at age 40. Together, they explore the dangerous intersection of GLP-1 medications and restrictive diet culture, offering a compassionate perspective on why you might feel stressed about food and how to find your way back to balance.
SHOW NOTES: Click here
Follow me on Instagram @behind_the_bite_podcast
Visit the website: www.behindthebitepodcast.com

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47 min
February 19 Ep 274 When Your Body Changes After Cancer: Body Image, Identity, and the Questions No One Tells You to Ask With Robby Wallace
In this poignant episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with oncology nurse educator Robby Wallace to discuss the often-overlooked physical and emotional toll of cancer treatment. While medical teams focus on eradicating the disease, patients are frequently left to navigate profound shifts in their body image, identity, and daily functionality on their own. Robby sheds light on the gaps in the current healthcare system, explaining why patients often feel lost in medical jargon and why having a patient advocate is crucial. From the trauma of hair loss to the complexities of fertility and intimacy, this conversation offers a compassionate look at what it truly means to heal the person, not just the patient.
SHOW NOTES: Click here
Follow me on Instagram @behind_the_bite_podcast
Visit the website: www.behindthebitepodcast.com

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43 min
February 12 Ep 273 The ‘Healthy Eating’ Trap: When Wellness Turns Into an Eating Disorder (Orthorexia, Body Trust & Recovery) With Virginia Newman
In this episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Virginia Newman, known as "The Radical Dietitian," to expose the dangerous line between wellness culture and Orthorexia. They discuss how the pursuit of "clean eating" and dietary purity can spiral into a debilitating eating disorder that shrinks your life while masquerading as health. Virginia shares her personal journey from a back injury that triggered a food obsession to finding true freedom through Body Trust. Together, they dismantle the myths of anti-fatness, explore the brutality of recovery in a diet-obsessed world, and explain why your body was never the problem to be solved.
SHOW NOTES: Click here
Follow me on Instagram @behind_the_bite_podcast
Visit the website: www.behindthebitepodcast.com

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58 min
February 05 Ep 272 Stressed Out and Stuck in Your Head? How to Come Back to the Present with Mindfulness Coach Alana Cahoon
In this episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Alana Cahoon to tackle the pervasive issue of stress and anxiety in our modern, fast-paced world. Together, they explore the cultural pressure to "live to work" rather than "work to live," and how this mindset contributes to burnout and disconnection. Alana shares practical, accessible tools to help listeners stop spiraling into future worries or past regrets, offering a path to reclaim peace and presence in the everyday through grounding techniques and a shift in perspective.
SHOW NOTES: Click here
Follow me on Instagram @behind_the_bite_podcast
Visit the website: www.behindthebitepodcast.com

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32 min
January 29 Ep 271 If January Feels Heavy, This Episode Is for You
If January feels heavy — not motivating, not inspiring, not like a fresh start — this episode is for you.
In this solo episode, I explore why so many people are quietly opting out of New Year’s resolutions and resonating with the idea of a “Soft January.” Not because they don’t care about growth — but because years of trying to do things the “right” way have left them feeling like failures when those plans inevitably didn’t stick.
We talk about how January pressure mirrors diet culture, perfectionism, and people-pleasing — especially for those who’ve spent years believing they weren’t disciplined or consistent enough. I unpack why the problem was never you, but the systems that set you up to internalize failure.
This episode isn’t anti-goals or anti-change.
It’s about separating growth from self-worth — and learning how “good enough” can be a powerful corrective experience.
If you’ve ever walked away from a resolution, a reset, or a new start feeling like you were the failure, this episode is for you.
SHOW NOTES: Click here
Follow me on Instagram @behind_the_bite_podcast
Visit the website: www.behindthebitepodcast.com

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17 min
January 22 Ep 270 Making Sense of the Noise: Eating Disorder Treatment in a Shifting Landscape With Melainie Rogers
In this critical and timely episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini is joined by Melainie Rogers, Founder and CEO of BALANCE Eating Disorder Treatment Center, to navigate the chaotic "wild west" of the current weight loss landscape. As GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy saturate the market, Melainie pulls back the curtain on the alarming side effects that are often swept under the rug—from significant muscle atrophy to "medically induced anorexia." This conversation challenges the pervasive myth that thinness equals health, exposing how the lack of informed consent and the rise of med-spa prescriptions are setting the stage for a future of metabolic damage and disordered eating.
SHOW NOTES: Click here
Follow me on Instagram @behind_the_bite_podcast
Visit the website: www.behindthebitepodcast.com

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49 min
January 15 Ep 269 You Don’t Need More Discipline — You Need a Different Approach to Fitness With James Cappola
In this episode, Dr. Cristina sits down with James Cappola, a seasoned fitness trainer and co-founder of Zero Shortcuts Training, to dismantle the toxic "no pain, no gain" mentality that plagues the fitness industry. James opens up about his own history with exercise bulimia and body dysmorphia, revealing how he appeared to be the picture of health—sporting a six-pack and muscles—while secretly battling a debilitating eating disorder and substance abuse. Together, they discuss the dangerous misconception that aesthetics equal health, the double standards in how society views bodies, and how to shift your relationship with movement from one of punishment to one of self-respect and sustainability.
SHOW NOTES: Click here
Follow me on Instagram @behind_the_bite_podcast
Visit the website: www.behindthebitepodcast.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
34 min