Love & Learn

(Disclaimer: This episode is a re-run. It was originally published on November 7th, 2022)

Anxiety has two demands. It wants to know exactly what’s going to happen AND it wants to feel comfortable. Anxiety wants certainty and comfort.

In this episode, we take a look at bigger picture ways of working with anxiety by practicing skills. With time and integration, these essential skills can help you reach new levels of mastery in managing your anxiety and future oriented fear.

SHOW NOTES:

When Anxiety Spirals. How to Let Go of What You Can't Control

FURTHER LISTENING AND READING:

5 Intense Emotions Connected to Eating Disorders
Is An Eating Disorder A Kind of Anxiety Disorder? An Expert Explains

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Amanda Crew is an actress, activist, and eating disorder survivor. She's graced the screens of numerous television shows and movies and is best known as the female lead in the HBO series Silicon Valley. Amanda also sits on the board of Project Heal, and she's passionate about using her voice to campaign for equity and accessibility in eating disorder care. 

She's helping to spread the message that eating disorders affect people of all ethnicities, genders, and body sizes - and ALL are deserving of care. Listen in as she shares her recovery story, and discusses the responsibility she feels to show up ethically as a thin, white, cis woman in the eating disorder world, where so many voices are silenced for not fitting this stereotype. 

Click here for SHOW NOTES -  Celebrity Amanda Crew's Eating Disorder Story and Showing Up Responsibly as a Recovery Advocate

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(Disclaimer: This episode is a re-run. It was originally published on September 27th, 2022)

Diet mentality assumes that certain foods or quantities of foods are "okay" and "not okay" to eat. Stop Fighting Food Founder, Isabel Foxen Duke explains how this moralistic mentality of being "good" and "not good" can also creep in on your recovery and attempts to control binge eating. Learn why this isn't helpful.

WHAT WE COVER:

• Why restriction is not just a physical behavior, it's an emotional attitude
• What people with diet mentality don't want to hear
• The “Don’t Binge-Eat Diet” and why it’s not helping your recovery
• The pros of cons of an eating disorder diagnosis

SHOW NOTES >> click here

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(Disclaimer: This episode is a re-run. It was originally published on November 27th, 2023)

"I think the most important thing for me to learn was the fact that change was possible. And that I didn't have to keep reproducing the same patterns of behaviors, thoughts, or relationships." - Clélia Froguel

Today we have an inspirational story of recovery from a warrior I have personally worked with, Clelia Froguel. She is a shining example of what happens when you ditch diets and stop letting the elusive chase of weight loss be your primary marker of success.

Clelia and I go way back to the very beginning of this podcast, when it use to be called the Recovery Warrior Show, I’ve updated the name to the Recovery Warrior Shows because our vision is to expand to bring you collection of unique shows that target different stages and interests in the recovery space.

But back to the beginning of the podcast. I just released the Rise Up app and was a few years into working on Recovery Warriors. On the podcast I announced that I was opening up some one-on-one coaching spots, and she was the first person to sign up. We worked together for well over a year and I had the privilege of watching her transform. 

She showed me that what I was teaching actually works to help other people in their recovery, change is possible. And since then I’ve gone on to create online programs like Map My Recovery that have given nearly 1,000 warriors the training, accountability, and structure they need to make real change happen.

But it all started with Clelia, and I am so honored to have her here to share her story and her experience working with me as she recovered from bulimia and binge eating. She truly has become the hero of her own story. 

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There are many societal constraints in recovery. You're dealing with constant allusions that morals are tied to food, weight, and exercise. How can we better insulate ourselves against these toxic diet culture messages?

This was a question Amanda, a listener from our community, wrote in to be answered on Equipped to Recover.

In our mission to help you learn from the best, we connected with Benjamin O'Keefe He's a social change activist and thought leader known for his transformative work in culture, politics, and entertainment. He also has lived experience with recovering from an eating disorder, and now sits on the board of Project Heal.

Listen in as Ben explains why the best way to insulate against harmful messages around diet culture and eating disorders, is to not insulate yourself at all.

Click here for SHOW NOTES - How Doing THIS with Diet Culture Can Strengthen Your Recovery with Benjamin O’Keefe
 

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"This is not your fault. There are many things at play from genetics to society. But at its core, eating disorder behaviors are what people are pushed to on a normal, daily basis. And so we need to remove the shame and instead move with vulnerability and give ourselves grace to acknowledge that this is a real thing that many people battle. But if we fight together, we can win that battle."

Benjamin O'Keefe's journey was far from the stereotypical experience of someone with an eating disorder. He grew up in poverty where accessing healthcare was a luxury he couldn't afford. His difficulty accessing care was compounded by the fact that he was black, male, and overweight. What began as a conscious decision to lose weight spiraled out of control and took over his life. The realization that he had an eating disorder was a gradual process, and it took a lot of effort to seek out resources and understand what was happening to him.

Tune into this episode of the Equipped to Recover podcast series hosted by Kristina Saffran to hear how Benjamin used his lived experience to became a social change activist and political thought leader holding retailers like Abercrombie & Fitch accountable for discrimination against plus-sized and BIPOC customers.

Click here for SHOW NOTES - Eating Disorders Don't Have a "Look" with Benjamin O'Keefe

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What have neurobiologists discovered about the differences in the brains of people with anorexia, and to what degree might these discoveries lead to new treatments?

This was a question Bobbie, a listener from our community, wrote in to be answered on Equipped to Recover.

In our mission to help you learn from the best, we connected with Dr. Erin Parks and Kristina Saffran, co-founders of the virtual treatment provider Equip Health. Together they’re on a shared mission to bring effective, affordable, and accessible care to everyone with an eating disorder. 

Whether you live with an eating disorder, or have a loved one who does - it's important to understand the temperament and brain science behind it.

Let's dive in and hear what Erin & Kristina had to say about the neurobiology and temperament traits of anorexia.

SHOW NOTES

THE DAILY GROWTH HABIT 🌱

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Latest track: Letting Go of Control and Surrendering into the Unknown

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(Disclaimer: This episode is a re-run. It was originally published on September 20, 2022)

Fluctuations in your mood, body image, and food behaviors...call it PMS...or is it something else? Dr. Anita Johnston, author, storyteller and eating psychology pioneer has a lot of wisdom to share about the menstrual cycle.

We don’t learn how to work with our menstrual cycle. If you find yourself bemoaning your body more than standing in awe of it, this episode is for you.

WHAT WE COVER:

• What is the difference between sacred and shameful secrets?
• When is the best time of the month to access your creativity and your intuition?
• A powerful metaphor for understanding your emotions 
• How rituals and stories can heal your relationship with your menstrual cycle and your body

SHOW NOTES

THE DAILY GROWTH HABIT 🌱

Request an invite to our private library of audio affirmations - request FREE access now!

Latest track: Letting Go of Control and Surrendering into the Unknown

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If you follow all the steps and do X, Y, and Z, it should add up to eating disorder recovery, right?

Realistically, it's more complex than that. One thing science has shown is that if you're underweight, weight restoration is a necessity to recover.

Take a listen as Equip's Erin Parks, PhD and Kristina Saffran explain why.

Click here for SHOW NOTES

THE DAILY GROWTH HABIT 🌱

Request an invite to our private library of audio affirmations - request FREE access now!

Latest track: Letting Go of Control and Surrendering into the Unknown

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"An eating disorder starts out as a way to gain control, until it starts controlling you." 

When we feel a lack of control in our lives, we experience anxiety and despair. We seek to make our environments and our lives predictable. With an eating disorder our food, weight, and self-concept becomes meticulously managed and controlled. We create routines, build habits, and organize our lives around behaviors that provide a sense of safe and familiarity.

In this episode, we explore the scientific research on the role control plays in eating disorders and the different reasons it manifest. 

With a greater awareness you gain a greater ability to change.

SHOW NOTES

THE DAILY GROWTH HABIT 🌱

Request an invite to our private library of audio affirmations - request FREE access now!

Latest track: Letting Go of Control and Surrendering into the Unknown

LISTENER SURVEY 🎧

Click here to take a short survey to get personalized support and help us grow our network of shows.

PLUS you get entered into our monthly raffle to win a 45-minute Soul Strength's Strategy Session with Jessica. 2 lucky winners drawn each month. Fill out the survey once and stay in the running month after month.

CONNECT WITH RECOVERY WARRIORS 🖤

• Request FREE access to The Daily Growth Habit
• Check out articles on Website 
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• Learn more about the Podcast