Episode 17 of the Hello Body! podcast with your hosts, Melissa and Katy. In this episode, we talk with Shreen El Masry. Shreen is a non-diet, body inclusive and Health At Every Size personal trainer, Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor based in Sydney, Australia. 

Shreen struggled with dieting and body image from a young age, but it wasn’t until she migrated to Australia from the UK back in 2010 that her physical and mental health deteriorated, and she developed depression, anxiety and an eating disorder.

The eating disorder started when Shreen was asked to be a bridesmaid for a friend’s wedding and she was body shamed during the fitting.  Shreen’s turning point came when her counsellor warned her that she would hospitalize her under the Mental Health Act. 

This pushed her into recovery, where she discovered intuitive eating, health at every size and the non-diet community and became educated in all areas. The combination of all these elements ultimately led her to a full recovery.  The experience was life changing and this is what inspired her to set up her non-diet, body inclusive, fitness and wellbeing community called “Be You, Be Free.” 

Shreen is deeply passionate about promoting body inclusivity and helping women break free from dieting.  She helps women heal their relationship to food, exercise, and their body. But mostly, she helps women exercise from a place of fun and for nourishment, and as a for a tool for self-care and mental health, rather than for punishment. 

Shreen’s mission is to change the narrative around fitness and diet culture and show women that their weight has nothing to do with their self-worth. You can find Shreen on Instagram @shreen_beyoubefree.

This episode marks the finale of Season 1. Melissa & Katy are going to be taking a little break from recording. Thank you to everyone who has been listening along and to all of our Season 1 guests for these fantastic interviews!

Episode 17 of the Hello Body! podcast with your hosts, Melissa and Katy. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Melissa Cioffi, owner of New Quest Physical Therapy in Beacon, NY, and host of the Finally Fearless podcast.

Dr. Mel brings her services to her clients in the comfort of their own homes, whether that be in person or virtually. She is passionate about helping women learn how to use their bodies in ways they’ve always believed they never could!

We talk to Dr. Mel all about weight stigma in the world of physiotherapy, and she gives us SO MUCH great information about the pelvic floor — including common issues and misconceptions about peeing, pain during sex, and the truth about kegels!

This episode is jam-packed full of great information for women’s health, and Dr. Mel delivers it with the same humor and frankness we’ve come to love in her Tiktok videos and Reels. You can find Dr. Mel on Instagram @dr.mel_pt. 

Also this is the pelvic wand we talk about during the episode. Enjoy!

Episode 15 of the Hello Body! podcast with your hosts, Melissa and Katy. In this episode, we talk with Natasha Ngindi, also known as the Thick Nutritionist. Natasha is a Non-Diet Nutritionist, Body Image Activist, Zumba Instructor, and Entrepreneur who lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. 

She spent years being a slave to diet culture but she was never able to keep the weight off. After hitting rock bottom, she finally gained food freedom and learned to truly love herself. Her lived experiences and nutrition knowledge inspire her to help others gain food freedom and accept their bodies, too.

Natasha talks to us about her own dieting history and how her work with Registered Dietitian at the University of Saskatchewan opened her mind to the concepts of intuitive eating and joyful movement and she’s never looked back. 

Episode 14 of the Hello Body! podcast with your hosts, Melissa and Katy. In this episode, we talk with Amanda Bullat, RDN, LD, of Alpine Nutrition. Amanda became interested in nutrition while training as a competitive distance runner in her early 20s. Her passion for running and food became a double-edged sword as she developed her own disordered relationship with food and exercise.

After many years of personal struggle, academic study at Bastyr University, and a strong commitment to recovery, Amanda was able to reclaim her intuition and enjoyment with food and movement.

For over a decade, as a registered dietitian nutritionist, culinary expert, and avid outdoor enthusiast, Amanda has worked tirelessly to be an ally for women struggling with their own disordered relationship with food and their bodies. She listens to clients with compassion and offers validation for each client’s lived experiences with food and their bodies.

Amanda specializes in supporting women of all sizes who are struggling with disordered eating, chronic dieting, eating disorders, and body shame. Using the framework of Intuitive Eating, Health At Every Size®, and the therapeutic Be Body Positive Model® created by The Body Positive, Amanda supports clients as they re-discover their intuition around food and movement.

Episode 13 of the Hello Body! podcast with your hosts, Melissa and Katy. In this episode, we interview the incomparable Joshna Maharaj. Joshna is an award-winning chef, activist, public speaker and two-time TEDx speaker, and the author of the book “Take Back the Tray: Revolutionizing Food in Hospitals, Schools, and Other Institutions.” 

She is at the forefront of a revolution in changing how we feed our most vulnerable members of society, and frankly the only reason we were able to nail her down to speak with us is because she also happens to be one of my oldest, dearest friends.  

We talk to Joshna all about her work to change how we view hospitality and how large institutions prepare and serve food, and the ways in which we need to challenge the industrial food complex.  

We also talk about what it’s like to be in the public sphere and to have big, loud, revolutionary ideas while existing in a fat body — especially when those ideas are about food and nutrition and how we feed ourselves and each other. And even though the overwhelming response to her work is positive, she talks about how the vitriol she has encountered and the unsolicited feedback she has gotten about her size can eat away at her. 

TW: We do talk about the industrial food complex and the topics of processed food and access to food, and this can triggering if you have a history with orthorexia or if you struggle with the 10th principle of intuitive eating, which is gentle nutrition and honoring your health and taste buds above the ingredients of your food. 

This episode is a bit longer than our usual interviews because we cover a lot of meaty issues and I know you’re going to love this conversation and hearing all about Joshna’s incredible work in this world.  

Website: joshnamaharaj.com 

Instagram: @joshnamaharaj 

Buy the book: Take Back the Tray: Revolutionizing Food in Hospitals, Schools, and Other Institutions

Episode 12 of the Hello Body! podcast with your hosts, Melissa and Katy. In this episode, we talk with Ranece Parker. Ranece is a high school food & nutrition teacher in Australia. She also runs the gorgeous Instagram account @bestronglovemuch, where you’ll find her mouth-watering food photography and her yummy recipes.

We ask Ranece about her history with dieting and body image and how she became a self-professed “diet culture dropout,” as well as the uphill battle she faces teaching high schoolers how to have a balanced, positive relationship with food and nutrition and the ways diet culture infiltrates so much of that curriculum. 

And we also talk about baking, how diet culture and an obsession with weight can steal from us that sense of fun in the kitchen — and how she was able to get it back. And we get a primer on some of Australia’s best national delicacies (did you know Melissa had never even heard of Vegemite??) 

Just a heads up: There are some sound issues in the middle of the episode. We tried to clean it up as best we could, but there were  some problems with the recording platform we were using because all three of our audio tracks were affected. So, our apologies for that and rest assured it does go away before the end of the episode.  

Other than that, it’s a lovely conversation, so enjoy!

Episode 11 of the Hello Body! podcast with your hosts Melissa and Katy. In this episode, we interview Sumner Brooks and Amee Severson. Both are registered dietitians who practice a weight-neutral, Health at Every Size® approach to intuitive eating and nutrition — and they recently joined forces to write the book entitled How to Raise an Intuitive Eater.

Naturally, we peppered them with questions related to the struggles we’ve faced feeding our kids with a gentle nutrition approach while also existing in a fatphobic world that views our children’s health in terms of their body size. We also talk about how their upcoming book works with Ellen Satter principles and also how it departs from her work. We address some of the socioeconomic issues around nutrition, including access to food, and also address food rules with neurodivergent kids and the ongoing hysteria around sugar and children. Enjoy!

Sumner is a registered dietitian and eating disorder specialist, and the founder of EDRDpro, the international online training platform for eating disorder dietitians and health professionals. You can also find Sumner on Instagram @intuitiveeatingrd.

Amee is a registered dietitian whose work focuses on body positivity, fat acceptance, and intuitive eating through a social justice lens. Find Amee at Prosper Nutrition and Wellness, and on Instagram @amee_rd.

Episode 10 of the Hello Body! podcast with your hosts Melissa and Katy. In this episode, we interview Anupa Roper (aka Miss Sparrow Legs). Anupa lives in the UK with her husband and 2 children. She allowed her label of ‘skinny’ to affect her feelings and choices for a long time. Now she wants to empower the young by helping them to feel happy in their own skin. She would love for the generations that follow to know that their bodies are amazing and they are beautiful just the way they are.

Find out more about the Love Thy Body book.

Find Anupa on Instagram (@miss_sparrowlegs) and on Facebook.

Episode 9 of the Hello Body! podcast with your hosts Melissa and Katy. In this episode, we interview Sarah Thacker of Wholistic Food Therapy. Sarah offers a holistic approach to mental and emotional wellbeing. In her private practice she is dedicated to supporting those who struggle with emotional eating, eating disorders, anxiety, trauma and a variety of other challenges. As a licensed psychotherapist, certified EMDR therapist and certified yoga therapist, she integrates a variety of therapeutic techniques based on each individual's unique needs. Sarah believes that everyone deserves and has the capacity to feel their best in mind, body and spirit.

Sarah has a wealth of information to share and offers so many amazing tips in this episode — especially related to dealing with the trauma associated with disordered eating and body dysmorphia. You’ll definitely want to grab a pen and paper to take notes from this one. Enjoy!

You can find Sarah at https://www.wholisticfoodtherapy.com and Instagram @wholisticfoodtherapy.

Sarah’s book: https://www.wholisticfoodtherapy.com/workbook