In this episode, Talia is joined by Dr Nicky Keay to explore the often overlooked consequences of under-eating and over-exercise on hormones and bone health.

Together, they unpack how low energy availability can disrupt the menstrual cycle, reduce estrogen and impact bone health. They also discuss DEXA scans, osteoporosis, HRT and REDS.

What You’ll Learn:

• The hormonal consequences of under-fuelling and over-exercising
• The link between amenorrhoea, low oestrogen, and bone health
• The difference between osteopenia and osteoporosis
• The latest guidance around HRT for functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea
• Blood tests that may be useful when assessing REDS and bone health

Resources & Links:

• Dr Nicola Keay’s website: www.nickykeayfitness.com 
• Dr Nicola Keay on social media: @drnikkikeay 
• Personal Energy Availability Questionnaire (PEAQ): https://mypeaq.streamlit.app/ 
• Books by Dr Nicola Keay:
  • Hormones, Health and Human Potential
  • Myths of Menopause

About our guest:

Nicky is a medical doctor specialising in exercise endocrinology. Nicky’s clinical endocrine work provides personalised approach for hormone health, offering health advisory appointments, with a focus for those experiencing relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) and women experiencing perimenopause and menopause. 

Based on her research into REDs, Nicky developed the free online personal availability questionnaire (PEAQ). Nicky is medical advisor to Scottish Ballet and offers talks on a variety of hormone topics at international conferences for organisations and groups. Nicky is the author of “Hormones, Health and Human Potential” and editor of “Myths of Menopause”. 

Episode Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction
00:32 – How under-eating and over-exercise affect hormones
02:57 – Why periods may stop when the body is conserving energy
05:30 – What DEXA scans can and cannot tell us
08:38 – Understanding osteopenia, osteoporosis, Z-scores and T-scores
27:45 – Can osteoporosis be improved?
37:34 – What HRT is and when it may be indicated
42:22 – Why the oral contraceptive pill is not bone-protective in FHA
52:28 – Helpful blood markers for REDs and bone health
56:08 – Why vitamin D matters more than “normal range” alone

Connect with Talia:

• Talia’s Instagram: @tcnutrition
• Food Is Food Instagram: @foodisfoodpod
• Website & Mailing List: www.taliacechele.com 
• Clinic Enquiries: https://www.taliacecchele.com/contact 

Support the Podcast:
If this episode resonated with you, you can support Food is Food by:

• Following or subscribing to the podcast
• Leaving a 5* review
• Sharing this episode with someone who might find it helpful

Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and supportive purposes only and is not a substitute for individual medical or dietetic advice.

Digestive symptoms are one of the most common — and misunderstood — experiences in eating disorder recovery. In this episode, Talia is joined by eating disorder dietitian Marci Evans to unpack the complex relationship between restrictive eating, IBS symptoms, the nervous system, and gut health.

This episode is for anyone navigating bloating, constipation, gastroparesis, IBS symptoms, or digestive discomfort in recovery — and for clinicians wanting a deeper understanding of the gut-brain connection in eating disorder care.

Episodes drop every Thursday.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why digestive symptoms are so common in eating disorders and disordered eating
• The connection between the nervous system, anxiety, stress, and gut function
• Why under-eating and restrictive diets can worsen IBS-like symptoms
• Practical tools to support digestion without food restriction

Resources & Links:

• Website: marcird.com (including clinician training and workshops)
• Instagram: @marciRD
• Free Resource: marcird.com/_resources/23tools

About our Guest:
Marci Evans is a Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian and Supervisor (CEDS-C) and a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor practicing from a weight-inclusive, anti-oppression lens. 

She has dedicated her career to counseling, supervising, and teaching in the field of eating disorders.  She launched the Food and Body Image Healers® Training Institute in 2015, an online platform helping dietitians and clinicians build the skills to specialise in eating disorder care. Since then, more than 3500 clinicians have taken her nutrition counseling and body image courses and focused workshops. 

Marci continues to lead a weight-inclusive private practice, teaches graduate-level nutrition counseling at Simmons University, and has a forthcoming book, Nourishing Recovery: A New Integrated Approach to Nutritional Care for Eating Disorders.

Episode Timestamps:
 00:00 – Welcome & introduction
 01:48 – Why digestive issues are so common in eating disorders
 03:29 – The “chicken or egg” relationship between IBS and eating disorders
 09:25 – The gut-brain connection: stress, anxiety & digestion
 14:29 – Gut-directed hypnotherapy & non-diet approaches to IBS symptoms
 16:20 – Low FODMAP diets in eating disorder recovery
 22:09 – Nervous system regulation tools
 25:30 – Exercise, undernourishment & pelvic floor health
 32:08 – Are digestive symptoms always reversible in recovery?
 36:21 – Food intolerance testing: what’s evidence-based?
 42:29 – Bloating, constipation & practical digestive support tools
 46:26 – Free resources for clinicians & recovery support

Connect with Talia:

• Talia’s Instagram: @tcnutrition
• Food Is Food Instagram: @foodisfoodpod
• Website & Mailing List: www.taliacechele.com 
• Clinic Enquiries: https://www.taliacecchele.com/contact 

Support the Podcast:
If this episode resonated with you, you can support Food is Food by:

• Following or subscribing to the podcast
• Leaving a 5* review
• Sharing this episode with someone who might find it helpful

Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and supportive purposes only and is not a substitute for individual medical or dietetic advice.

In this episode of Food is Food, Talia clarifies the differences between disordered eating and eating disorders, emphasising the importance of recognising signs and seeking support. It explores the spectrum of eating behaviors, diagnostic criteria, and factors contributing to eating disorders, providing valuable insights for anyone concerned about their relationship with food.

Episodes drop every Thursday.

What You’ll Learn:

• Difference between disordered eating and eating disorders
• Spectrum of eating behaviours from intuitive eating to clinical diagnosis
• Factors contributing to eating disorders: biological, psychological, sociocultural
• Importance of seeking support early
• Impact of diet culture and societal pressures

Resources & Links:

• DSM-5 Criteria for Eating Disorders - https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm 
• Butterfly Foundation Australia - https://butterfly.org.au/ 
• Beat UK: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/ 
• Free Resource List: https://www.taliacecchele.com/freebies 
• Ellyn Satter Normal Eating Definition: https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/how-to-eat/normal-eating/  

Episode Timestamps:
 00:00 – Welcome & introduction
 02:30 – How common eating disorders really are
 04:50 – Understanding diagnoses & overlap between eating disorders
 09:35 – Why disordered eating is hard to define
 11:30 – The spectrum: from intuitive eating to eating disorders
 12:20 – The “3 Ps” model: why eating disorders develop
 15:35 – Barriers to seeking support & cultural considerations
 18:30 – What is disordered eating? Signs to look out for
 21:10 – The role of intention behind food behaviours
 22:50 – What “normal eating” actually looks like
 25:10 – How disordered eating can develop into an eating disorder
 26:40 – Final thoughts: when to seek support

Connect with Talia:

• Talia’s Instagram: @tcnutrition
• Food Is Food Instagram: @foodisfoodpod
• Website & Mailing List: www.taliacechele.com 
• Clinic Enquiries: https://www.taliacecchele.com/contact 

Support the Podcast:
If this episode resonated with you, you can support Food is Food by:

• Following or subscribing to the podcast
• Leaving a 5* review
• Sharing this episode with someone who might find it helpful

Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and supportive purposes only and is not a substitute for individual medical or dietetic advice.

In this episode of Food is Food, we explore the complex and often misunderstood concept of being “sick enough” in the context of eating disorders and undereating.

What You’ll Learn:

• How diet culture, medical gaslighting, and internalised beliefs keep people stuck
• The truth about “feeling fine” while undernourished (and why it’s misleading)
• Why your metabolism isn’t broken
• The biological reality of undereating - from bone health and biochemistry to heart health and cognitive change

Resources & Links:

• Sick Enough: A Guide to the Medical Complications of Eating Disorders and Undernutrition (2nd Edition) by Dr. Jen Gaudiani
• Gaudiani Clinic: https://www.gaudianiclinic.com
• Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American  Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines 

About our Guest:
Dr. Jen Gaudiani is the founder and medical director of the Gaudiani Clinic. Board certified in internal medicine, she completed her undergraduate degree at Harvard, medical school at Boston University School of Medicine, and her internal medicine residency and chief residency at Yale.

Founded in 2016, the Gaudiani Clinic offers specialized, trauma informed outpatient medical care to individuals seeking support for eating disorders, undernourishment related to complex medical issues, and weight-inclusive primary care. 

The fully updated and significantly expanded second edition of Dr. Gaudiani’s bestselling book, Sick Enough: A Guide to the Medical Complications of Eating Disorders and Undernutrition is now available wherever books are sold.

Episode Timestamps:
00:00 – Welcome & introduction
01:00 – What does “sick enough” actually mean?
07:00 – Why feeling “fine” doesn’t mean you’re nourished
12:30 – The house-on-fire analogy explained
16:30 – Can you really break your metabolism?
24:00 – Extreme hunger and why it’s biologically normal
30:00 – Diet culture, stigma, and hunger across all body sizes
31:30 – Heart rate: athlete vs undernourished body
36:00 – Blood markers: cholesterol, white cells & medical myths
43:00 – Undereating and its impact on your brain
49:00 – Perimenopause, ageing, and eating disorders
52:30 – Closing thoughts

Connect with Talia:

• Talia’s Instagram: @tcnutrition
• Food Is Food Instagram: @foodisfoodpod
• Website & Mailing List: www.taliacechele.com 
• Clinic Enquiries: https://www.taliacecchele.com/contact 

Support the Podcast:
If this episode resonated with you, you can support Food is Food by:

• Following or subscribing to the podcast
• Leaving a 5* review
• Sharing this episode with someone who might find it helpful

Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and supportive purposes only and is not a substitute for individual medical or dietetic advice.

In this episode of Food is Food, Talia and Shane Jeffrey explore the RAVES Eating Model — a compassionate, flexible framework designed to support a more peaceful and nourishing relationship with food.

What You’ll Learn:

• What the RAVES Eating Model is and how each principle supports recovery
• Why regularity and adequacy form the foundation of nutritional wellbeing
• The role of variety, social eating, and flexibility in long-term recovery
• How RAVES can be adapted to suit your unique needs, preferences, and life context
• Common misconceptions about structured eating frameworks
• SAFETY: neurodiversity affirming approach to developing neutral food relationships

Resources & Links:
RAVES™ Eating Model Website (RAVES workshops, RAVES handout, Certification Program): https://www.raveseatingmodel.com/

RAVES™ Instagram: @raves.eating.model

River Oak Health Website: https://www.riveroakhealth.com.au/

River Oak Health Instagram: @riveroakhealth

About our guest:

Shane is an Australian based Accredited Practicing Dietitian and Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician with over 25 years of experience in the eating disorder field across both the private and public sectors.  Shane is the director and lead clinician at Brisbane based River Oak Health, a multidisciplinary private practice service dedicated to the treatment of eating disorders and other eating, weight and body image concerns. treatment service in Brisbane.  As the developer of the RAVES™ Eating Model, Shane has a strong interest in keeping nutrition messages simple, service development and supporting clinicians through professional supervision and workshop events.  

Episode Timestamps:
00:00 – Welcome & introduction
02:00 – What is the RAVES model?
06:00 – Regularity & adequacy: building the foundation
14:00 – Variety, social eating & spontaneity explained
22:00 – Common misconceptions of RAVES
27:00 – Adapting RAVES for neurodiversity
34:00 – The SAFETY framework and client-centred care
39:00 – RAVES workshops and certification
49:00 – Closing thoughts

Connect with Talia:

• Talia’s Instagram: @tcnutrition
• Food Is Food Instagram: @foodisfoodpod
• Website & Mailing List: www.taliacechele.com 
• Clinic Enquiries: https://www.taliacecchele.com/contact 

Support the Podcast:
If this episode resonated with you, you can support Food is Food by:

• Following or subscribing to the podcast
• Leaving a 5* review
• Sharing this episode with someone who might find it helpful

Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and supportive purposes only and is not a substitute for individual medical or dietetic advice.

In this episode of Food is Food, Talia shares about her own relationship with food and how she unexpectedly found her path as an eating disorder dietitian.

She talks about:

• The early influences on her relationship with food, including a brief experience with disordered eating
• How her career evolved from a desire to work as a sports dietitian to working in eating disorders
• The personal and professional experiences that shaped her understanding of eating disorders and recovery

If you’ve ever felt confused by conflicting nutrition advice or questioned your relationship with food, this podcast will help you feel less alone and open the door to a more compassionate, flexible way of thinking about food.

New episodes drop every Thursday. 

Stay nourished. 

Connect with Talia:

• Talia’s Instagram: @tcnutrition
• Food Is Food Instagram: @foodisfoodpod
• Website & Mailing List: www.taliacechele.com 
• Clinic Enquiries: https://www.taliacecchele.com/contact 

Support the Podcast:
If this episode resonated with you, you can support Food is Food by:

• Following or subscribing to the podcast
• Leaving a 5* review
• Sharing this episode with someone who might find it helpful

Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and supportive purposes only and is not a substitute for individual medical or dietetic advice.

Are you frustrated by the amount of nutrition misinformation that you hear? 

Me too. 

I'm Talia Cecchele, specialist eating disorder and disordered eating dietitian and founder of the TCN clinic. I support people to overcome food rules, stop restrictive dieting and stop feeling so out of control with food and eating.

In this podcast, I really want to bring nuance to the conversations that we have about nutrition because our relationship with food is so complex and it can be really harmful to view food in a black and white or all or nothing way. We'll be chatting about all things nutrition, intuitive eating, body image, diet culture, psychology and the consequences of under-eating and all through a non-diet and weight inclusive lens.

I really hope to create space that allows us to better understand how our thoughts, emotions and life experiences shape our relationship with food and our bodies. 

So if you're feeling a little bit lost about how to eat normally or you feel like food is overtaking your life, then you're in the right place. 

Welcome to Food Is Food!

Connect with Talia:

• Talia’s Instagram: @tcnutrition
• Food Is Food Instagram: @foodisfoodpod
• Website & Mailing List: www.taliacechele.com 
• Clinic Enquiries: https://www.taliacecchele.com/contact 

Support the Podcast:
If this episode resonated with you, you can support Food is Food by:

• Following or subscribing to the podcast
• Leaving a 5* review
• Sharing this episode with someone who might find it helpful

Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and supportive purposes only and is not a substitute for individual medical or dietetic advice.