Beyond Binge Eating

In this episode of Beyond Binge Eating, I sit down with Michele Andrews, a certified nutritionist, personal trainer, former therapist, and retired professional ballet dancer, to talk about healing our relationship with food, exercise, and our bodies.

Michele shares her personal journey from extreme calorie restriction, compulsive exercise, and body shame to the moment she began to see food and her body differently.

Here's what we explore:

• Why “I want to lose weight” may not get to the real reason behind your goals
• How calorie counting, restriction, and exercise can become forms of punishment
• The connection between food, control, and emotional patterns
• Why Michele doesn’t use blanket meal plans with her clients
• Learning to trust your body instead of letting the scale define success
• What healing can look like beyond simply changing how you eat

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Come to the Meat & Movement Retreat in Costa Rica!

https://www.MeatandMovement.com

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Follow Beyond Binge Eating

Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/

Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com

Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/

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Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/

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Keep in touch with Kristina:

https://www.DrKristinaDobyns.com

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Connect with Michele through her social media channels:

@coachmicheleandrews

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00:00 Introduction

01:05 Michele’s journey from ballet dancer to nutrition and wellness coach

09:18 Why “I want to lose weight” isn’t always the real goal

11:12 Why no two women need the same approach to health

14:32 Michele’s experience with extreme calorie restriction and menopause

16:57 How Michele discovered the carnivore/ketogenic lifestyle

26:27 How ballet shaped Michele’s relationship with food and her body

30:30 Body dysmorphia, punishment exercise, and calorie restriction

31:38 Why Michele gave up the scale for nine years

34:58 The pregnancy moment that changed how Michele saw her body

36:55 Learning to trust yourself beyond the science and the scale

37:39 Food freedom, healing, and reducing “food noise”

40:04 How Michele helps women break old patterns around food

46:27 Where to find Michele Andrews

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Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.

Anita Breeze, known online as Ketogenic Woman, is a health and wellness advocate who shares her experience with low-carb, ketogenic, and carnivore eating. In her mid-50s, she began making lasting changes after years of struggling with food, eventually losing 150 pounds from her highest weight.

Here's what we explore:

• Anita's lifelong struggles with food and her experience with food addiction support groups
• How changing her eating patterns affected her cravings and relationship with food
• Recognizing trigger foods and deciding which boundaries work for her
• Why she follows an animal-based ketogenic approach and monitors her blood sugar and ketones
• The four pillars of health: nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress reduction
• Building daily habits around your deeper reasons for wanting better health
• Why progress means more than the number on the scale
• Anita's upcoming book, Carnivore for Ageless Living

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Come to the Meat & Movement Retreat in Costa Rica!

https://www.MeatandMovement.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow Beyond Binge Eating

Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/

Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com

Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/

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Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/

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Keep in touch with Kristina:

https://www.DrKristinaDobyns.com

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Learn more about Anita here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KetogenicWoman

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ketogenic.woman/

Mighty Network Community: https://carnivore-keto-for-ageless-living.mn.co/

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Get Anita’s new book, Carnivore for Ageless Living, here:

https://www.amazon.com/Carnivore-Ageless-Living-Lifelong-Vitality/dp/1628606495/

Claim Preorder Bonus here: https://forms.gle/sox2Nygy4G2XJNRV9

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00:00 Introduction

01:11 A lifelong struggle with food

02:46 Food addiction and support groups

04:24 What changed in her 50s

05:22 Why she stopped trying to moderate certain foods

06:49 When keto treats and nuts triggered cravings

08:35 Finding her approach to carnivore eating

10:26 Recognizing foods she struggles to moderate

11:48 Setting boundaries without all-or-nothing thinking

14:24 Why brain health matters to Anita

17:39 Her approach to entering ketosis

19:38 What changed when her cravings quieted

22:14 The four pillars of health

23:24 Morning light, movement, and habit stacking

24:41 Adapting movement after a knee injury

26:16 Sleep routines and stepping away from social media

28:07 How Anita started her YouTube channel

30:10 Finding her deeper reason for change

31:36 Why goals need daily actions

34:20 Focusing on health instead of the scale

36:00 Maintaining weight loss and building lasting habits

37:39 How greater mobility gave Anita more freedom

38:30 The story behind Carnivore for Ageless Living

40:35 What ageless living means to Anita

41:57 Her book and preorder bonus

43:11 Where to find Anita and her community

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Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.

Dr. Autumn Smith is a former celebrity fitness trainer, eating psychology educator, and co-founder of Paleo Valley and Wild Pastures. After struggling with an eating disorder as a young dancer, Autumn eventually discovered a different way of approaching food—one centered on nourishment, body awareness, and learning to listen to her body.

Here's what we explore:

• Autumn's experience with an eating disorder and the body-image pressures she faced as a dancer
• How eating psychology and body awareness changed the way she approached food
• Why regular nourishment, protein, and dietary fat became important parts of her recovery
• Moving from body-focused thinking toward a broader definition of health
• Simple ways to reconnect with your body, including breathing and mindful mealtimes
• How screen use and social media can influence body image and daily wellbeing
• Autumn's research into grass-fed and regenerative meat
• Why she considers omega-3s and glycine important nutrients
• The shift from trying to "look the part" to focusing on feeling well and living fully

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Come to the Meat & Movement Retreat in Costa Rica!

https://www.MeatandMovement.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow Beyond Binge Eating

Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/

Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com

Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/

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Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/

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Keep in touch with Kristina:

https://www.DrKristinaDobyns.com

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Connect with Dr. Autumn on her social channels:

@drautumnsmith

Visit Autumn’s YouTube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/@autumnsmithdr

Learn more about Paleovalley here:

https://paleovalley.com/

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00:00 Introduction

01:11 Autumn's journey from ballet to eating disorder

03:19 How changing her diet transformed her health

05:16 Building Paleo Valley and Wild Pastures

07:46 How eating psychology changed her relationship with food

10:22 Shifting focus from body size to health and purpose

12:41 Why nourishment changed her relationship with food

13:30 Exercise as a "moving meditation"

14:06 Learning to listen to your body's feedback

14:46 From "Princess" to "Queen": Your worth beyond your body

16:30 Where to start reconnecting with your body

17:47 Using mealtimes to practice body awareness

18:50 The Big Mac experiment: What happens when you actually pay attention?

20:35 Simple daily practices for feeling more grounded

21:13 Creating healthier boundaries with screens

25:17 What her research found about beef quality

30:29 Grass-fed meat, omega-3s and inflammation research

33:14 Fish, omega-3s and brain health

37:39 Why glycine may be an underrated nutrient

43:07 Glycine-rich foods and bone broth

44:53 What Autumn believes about health now

46:35 From looking the part to feeling well

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Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.

Amy Berger is a certified nutrition specialist, US Air Force veteran, author of The Alzheimer's Antidote and The Stall Slayer, and co-author of End Your Carb Confusion. She has spent nearly two decades exploring low-carb and ketogenic nutrition and is known for her approach of doing “keto without the crazy.”

Here's what we explore:

• Who may benefit from a low-carb or ketogenic approach—and who may not need it
• Why ketone and glucose tracking can be useful for some people but anxiety-provoking for others
• How to approach trigger foods, cravings, and loss of control without shame
• Why Amy believes keto should be kept as simple as possible
• How sleep, stress, and your environment can affect your ability to follow a plan
• What Amy thinks about keto, carnivore, red meat, and inflammation
• Why more nutrition information isn't always better
• How to become more discerning about the health content you consume online

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Come to the Meat & Movement Retreat in Costa Rica!

https://www.MeatandMovement.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow Beyond Binge Eating

Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/

Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com

Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keep in touch with Kristina:

https://www.DrKristinaDobyns.com

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Learn more about Amy here:

https://www.ketowithoutthecrazy.com/

Connect with Amy on her social channels:

@tuitnutrition

Visit Amy’s YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@amyberger-ketowithoutthecrazy

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00:00 Introduction

02:05 Amy’s journey into keto and nutrition

04:39 Who should consider low-carb or keto?

07:17 Finding the right level of restriction

09:11 Do you really need to track ketones?

11:21 CGMs, blood glucose, and anxiety

12:23 When tracking becomes obsessive

14:51 Tailoring keto to different goals

16:04 How much fat should you eat?

17:57 The role of sleep, stress, and support

18:58 What to do about trigger foods

22:53 Finding your personal “green light” foods

24:06 Keto, carnivore, and inflammation

28:03 When and how to use MCT oil

29:26 The principles of “keto without the crazy”

32:00 A simple starting point for keto

34:26 What has changed in keto over the years

36:49 The future of keto for mental health

38:30 What to do when keto isn’t working

40:07 Stop letting social media scare you about food

41:12 Be discerning about the media you consume

42:14 Where to find Amy Berger

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Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.

Patricia Odone is a wellness and keto coach, author, and creator of Loving Life Over 50, where she shares practical insights on nutrition, metabolism, health, and navigating changing bodies after 50. In this conversation, Patricia shares what she learned from decades of experimenting with food and nutrition—including the moment she realized that the constant “food noise” in her head had finally quieted.

Here's what we explore:

• Patricia’s long and complicated relationship with food
• Why keto helped but didn’t completely quiet her food noise
• What changed when she transitioned to carnivore
• What her continuous ketone monitor taught her about metabolism and movement
• Why she stopped doing OMAD and returned to two meals a day
• How menopause changed her relationship with food, emotions, and her body
• Why muscle, sleep, exercise, and self-care matter after 50
• Learning to experiment without beating yourself up

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Come to the Meat & Movement Retreat in Costa Rica!

https://www.MeatandMovement.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow Beyond Binge Eating

Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/

Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com

Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/

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Keep in touch with Kristina:

https://www.DrKristinaDobyns.com

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Learn more about Patricia here:

lovinlifeover50.com

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Get Patricia’s book, The Ultimate Guide to Gut Health for Women over 50, here:

amzn.to/416WucS

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Visit Patricia’s channel, Loving Life Over 50, here:

https://www.youtube.com/@LovingLifeOver50

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Timestamps

00:00 – Patricia’s Journey With Food and Health

01:20 – A Lifelong Struggle With Food Noise

04:34 – From Atkins to a Deeper Interest in Nutrition

07:35 – Why Keto Helped but Didn’t Silence Food Noise

09:58 – Discovering Carnivore

11:40 – The Food Noise Finally Went Silent

15:32 – What Patricia Eats on Carnivore

18:26 – Following the Science While Listening to Your Body

21:25 – What Continuous Ketone Monitoring Revealed

24:44 – Why a Ketone Number Isn’t a Grade

25:48 – Fasting, OMAD, and Finding Her Sweet Spot

28:09 – Why Patricia Stopped OMAD

32:40 – Food, Emotions, and Menopause

35:17 – Why Patricia Is Passionate About Empowering Women

40:25 – How to Love Your Life More After 50

42:13 – Sleep, Muscle, Exercise, and Self-Care

44:40 – Managing Stress and Making Change a Priority

45:30 – Where to Find Patricia

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Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.

Maria Emmerich is a nutritionist and internationally bestselling author of more than 20 books, including The Carnivore Cookbook and The Art of Metabolic Health. For more than 25 years, she has worked with people around weight loss, insulin resistance, hormone health, and chronic conditions using ketogenic, carnivore, and protein-focused nutrition.

Here's what we explore:

• Why binge eating may not always be about hunger or food
• How stress and sleep can affect cravings and eating
• Why Maria puts so much emphasis on protein and muscle preservation
• Strength training, walking, and NEAT as part of metabolic health
• Nutrition considerations during perimenopause and postmenopause
• When tracking macros can be useful—and when it may not need to last forever
• How Maria approaches nutrition while traveling around the world
• Her strategies for managing jet lag and protecting sleep
• Why she eventually gave up coffee after years of loving it
• What she would tell someone who feels like they've "tried every diet"

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Come to the Meat & Movement Retreat in Costa Rica!

https://www.MeatandMovement.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow Beyond Binge Eating

Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/

Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com

Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keep in touch with Kristina:

https://www.DrKristinaDobyns.com

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Learn more about Maria here:

https://ketomaria.com/

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00:00 Why Muscle Loss Matters During Weight Loss

00:59 Maria's Personal Story & What Led Her to Nutrition

04:23 Making Healthy Eating Work While Traveling

06:24 Food as Information, Not Just Calories

08:44 When Binge Eating Isn't Really About Food

10:17 Sleep, Cravings & Hunger

11:16 Hormones, Perimenopause & Postmenopause

13:04 Protein, Fat & Metabolic Health

15:24 Strength Training, Walking & Simple "Biohacks"

18:00 NEAT: The Power of Everyday Movement

19:51 When Weight Loss Isn't the First Priority

21:32 Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting & Tracking Macros

27:00 How to Lose Weight Without Losing Muscle

30:00 Tracking Food While Traveling

32:50 Why Travel Matters to Maria

36:34 Maria's Approach to Jet Lag

38:40 Why Maria Quit Coffee

41:14 The Habits She Won't Compromise on While Traveling

43:27 What Maria Would Tell Someone Who's Tried Every Diet

45:57 Where to Find Maria & Her Resources

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Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.

Donika Hristova is a certified Keto for Mental Health coach trained by psychiatrist Dr. Georgia Ede. She is also the co-author of three publications on ketogenic therapy for psychiatric conditions and brings lived experience of achieving remission from bipolar II depression and binge eating disorder.

In this episode, Donika shares how childhood food restriction and weight criticism developed into secret eating, overexercise, and severe binge eating. We explore the mental health crisis that followed, the medication she credits with saving her life, and how ketogenic therapy became part of her recovery.

Here's what we explore:

• How early food rules shaped Donika’s relationship with eating
• The connection between chronic stress, binge eating, and depression
• How medication and ketogenic therapy supported different stages of her recovery
• Keto’s effects on her mood, hunger, energy, sleep, and cognition
• Why ketosis alone did not resolve every disordered eating pattern
• How she moved toward a more flexible, whole-food approach
• The importance of sleep, movement, stress management, and community

Donika’s story is a personal experience, not medical advice. Changes to psychiatric medication or diet should always be made with appropriate professional support.

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Come to the Meat & Movement Retreat in Costa Rica!

https://www.MeatandMovement.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow Beyond Binge Eating

Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/

Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com

Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keep in touch with Kristina:

https://www.DrKristinaDobyns.com

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Learn more about Donika here:

https://transformationevoked.com/

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Be part of the Keto Lifestyle for Mental Health Group:

MeetUp: https://www.meetup.com/keto-lifestyle-for-mental-health/?utm_medium=referral

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Visit Donika’s YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@TransformationEvoked

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Connect with Donika on her social channels:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/donika-hristova-b27479b1/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/transformation_evoked/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Transformation-Evoked/61563432614166/#

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00:00 Introduction

00:29 Meet Donika Hristova

01:39 How Donika’s Struggle With Food Began

05:14 Secret Eating and Childhood Restriction

06:40 Dieting, Weight Praise, and Compulsive Exercise

08:34 Replacing Smoking With Food

10:31 Immigration Stress and Escalating Binge Eating

12:28 Hitting Rock Bottom With Emotional Eating

15:04 Bipolar II Diagnosis and Starting Medication

19:26 The Benefits and Side Effects of Medication

21:35 Searching for Additional Treatment Options

22:19 Discovering Ketogenic Therapy

24:39 Beginning Keto With Limited Clinical Support

26:09 An Important Warning About Medication Tapering

27:24 Binge Urges, Ketosis, Fasting, and Exercise

28:14 Feeling Satisfied Without Guilt

29:03 Changes in Mood, Sleep, Energy, and Cognition

31:50 Moving Beyond Strict Therapeutic Keto

34:28 Donika’s Relationship With Food Today

36:13 Turning Lived Experience Into Professional Work

39:58 What Donika Has Learned From Supporting Clients

42:09 Why Metabolic Mental Health Is More Than Keto

43:04 Donika’s Practice and Free Support Community

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Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.

People often question whether their struggles with food and health are metabolic, psychological, nervous system-based, or rooted in trauma. However, framing these as separate compartments can be misleading because they are actually different lenses of one single embodied system.

For centuries, healthcare has operated as if the mind and body were completely separate, with meditation framed as mental and metabolic health as physical. In this episode, we explore how bridging that gap can change your relationship with food. By using ketogenic or carnivore-style diets to potentially reduce "food noise" and steady your energy, you can create the space needed to tune into your nervous system and respond to your body's true signals.

Here's what we explore:

- Why your struggles are not just a matter of willpower, but are shaped by the condition of the system trying to do those things.

- How stress physiology affects appetite, digestion, and the urgency of food cues.

- The concept of interoception and the ability to distinguish true hunger from anxiety, fatigue, grief, or habit.

- How ketogenic and carnivore therapies can change background conditions and reduce persistent cravings.

- Building the crucial pause between a physical sensation and a behavioral reaction.

- Why traditional seated meditation is not automatically safe or regulating for everyone, especially those with significant trauma.

- Trauma-informed mindfulness alternatives, such as walking, stretching, or noticing the support of a chair.

- The iterative process of stabilizing, noticing, responding, adjusting, and repeating.

If you’ve ever perfectly understood your own patterns but still struggled to interrupt them because your body was constantly signaling urgency, this conversation offers a flexible, integrated way to build trust with yourself and find what genuinely supports you.

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Come to the Meat & Movement Retreat in Costa Rica!

https://www.MeatandMovement.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow Beyond Binge Eating

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/

Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com

Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keep in touch with Kristina:

https://www.DrKristinaDobyns.com

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Timestamps

00:00 Introduction: One embodied system

01:17 The false separation between mind and body

02:12 Signal versus noise and interoception

03:13 Where keto, carnivore, and ketogenic therapies may fit

04:30 What nervous system work adds to metabolic shifts

05:38 This is an iterative process

06:33 When meditation is not the answer

08:20 Wrap up: Stabilize, notice, respond, adjust, repeat

Most people in food addiction and binge eating recovery know they need structure. Clear lines. Foods that don't work, behaviors that aren't up for negotiation.

That structure can be deeply freeing — when the decision is already made, the mental bargaining quiets down. But structure doesn't mean perfection. And perfectionism in recovery can be just as dangerous as the binge itself.

In this episode, I'm talking about the abstinence violation effect — also known as the "screw it" effect — and why a single slip doesn't have to spiral into a week, a month, or longer.

Real recovery isn't about never falling. It's about how quickly you return to center. What You'll Learn:

• Why the "all or nothing" mindset can make a small slip catastrophic

• What the abstinence violation effect is and how to interrupt it

• The mindset shift that changes everything: recovery is increasing stability, not perfection

• How your nervous system and self-awareness grow over time in recovery

• What it actually looks like to return to center — quietly, without drama

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Follow Beyond Binge Eating Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/ Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/

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Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/

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Keep in touch with Kristina: https://www.DrKristinaDobyns.com

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More info about Dr. Kristina's upcoming carnivore wellness retreat: https://www.MeatandMovement.com

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TIMESTAMPS

0:00 – The paradox of structure in recovery

0:25 – Why black-and-white thinking works for food addiction

0:56 – Structure is freeing — when the decision is made

1:03 – But you're still human

1:36 – The abstinence violation effect ("screw it" effect)

2:00 – The mindset shift: recovery is how fast you return

2:18 – What changes over time in recovery

2:35 – From days of shame to an hour of reflection

2:51 – Real recovery = increasing stability

3:10 – A quiet return, no self-destruction

3:21 – You are not broken. You are human.

3:38 – The real goal: a nervous system that lets you stand back up

3:59 – Community question

Jessica, also known as The Curious Carnivore, is an Australian content creator who openly shares her personal experience with the carnivore diet. After years of IBS symptoms, binge eating, bulimia, chronic fatigue, and trying countless approaches to feel better, she began experimenting with a meat-based way of eating.

Jessica’s story will resonate with anyone who has spent years negotiating with food, managing unpredictable digestive symptoms, or wondering why a seemingly “healthy” diet still leaves them feeling out of control. She speaks candidly about the uncomfortable parts of changing how she ate, including cravings, digestive adjustments, dehydration, and discovering that dairy could still trigger bingeing. Her experience offers a thoughtful reminder that progress often requires paying close attention to your own patterns, admitting when something is not working, and letting go of comparison.

Here's what we explore:

• How Jessica’s family environment shaped her early eating habits
• The connection she experienced between restriction, digestive distress, and bingeing
• Her history with bulimia and the excuses that kept the behavior hidden
• Why she moved from veganism to a whole-food diet and eventually carnivore
• The difficult first three months of adapting to carnivore
• How dairy brought back cravings and binge-eating patterns
• Why public accountability helped her complete 40 days without dairy
• How simplifying her food choices reduced mental negotiation and food noise
• Eating carnivore while living and travelling in Bali
• The freedom she found after years of planning her life around digestive symptoms

Wherever you are in your relationship with food, I hope this conversation reminds you that you’re not alone—and that it’s okay to keep searching for the support and approach that help you feel safe, nourished, and more at home in your body.

Jessica’s experience is personal and should not be taken as medical or nutritional advice. If you are struggling with an eating disorder, digestive condition, or medication concerns, please seek support from a qualified professional who understands your individual needs.

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Come to the Meat & Movement Retreat in Costa Rica!

https://www.MeatandMovement.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow Beyond Binge Eating

Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/

Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com

Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keep in touch with Kristina:

https://www.DrKristinaDobyns.com

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Connect with Jessica (The Curious Carnivore) here:

Instagram: @thecuriouscarnivore_

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Timestamps

00:00 Introduction

01:03 Meet Jessica, The Curious Carnivore

01:42 How family habits shaped her relationship with food

04:18 The sudden onset of fatigue, anxiety, and digestive symptoms

06:35 Years of diets, testing, and unanswered questions

08:48 How restriction developed into bingeing and bulimia

10:26 Medication, chronic fatigue, and losing her sense of self

12:25 The turning point that changed her direction

14:20 Rebuilding her life after stopping medication

18:08 Understanding the timeline of her eating struggles

18:51 When bingeing and purging became impossible to ignore

20:13 How Jessica discovered the carnivore diet

23:01 The difficult first three months of carnivore

24:49 When dairy triggered bingeing again

25:29 Recognizing trigger foods and staying accountable

26:12 The 40-day no-dairy challenge

26:51 Being honest about addiction, shame, and regret

27:43 Why “just a little cheese” can snowball

27:54 How carnivore changed her relationship with food

28:52 Simplifying meals to quiet the food noise

29:29 What it is like eating carnivore in Bali

31:23 The challenges of finding satisfying food while travelling

33:16 Finding physical and mental freedom

35:22 Where to follow Jessica

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Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.