WELCOME TO SEASON 4! Joining us for the first episode is body activist, Serena Nangia.

Serena is a disruptor. Her mission is to challenge prejudicial beliefs about body issues and stereotypes. She raises the voices of those who are ignored or living in marginalised communities.  

Serena grew up in a busy household. Both her parents worked long hours as medical practitioners, despite her mother’s ill health. 

It was Serena who first spotted her younger sister’s eating disorder and there is good reason as to why Serena is known as, “second Mum” in her family. 

Caring for her sister had profound and long-lasting effects on Serena and informed her chosen career. This period in her life formed the bedrock of her professional and voluntary work.

Serena lives happily in a large body; negative attitudes and comments are turned to her advantage. It is her outlook, sense of justice and equanimous personality that drives Serena’s Body Activism and transforms her into the Body Activist she is today.

Join Jemma and be inspired by Serena Nangia.

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:

• [04:40] - Family
• [19:15] - Mind, body connection
• [27:26] - REBEL
• [31:50] - Body Image

CONNECT WITH SERENA NANGIA:

@thebodyactivists

Serena’s Podcast

Facebook Page

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

If you enjoyed this episode, please let me know your thoughts on Instagram @thisfoodthingpodcast and consider leaving an honest review and rating for the show on iTunes, it helps with the ranking and as this is a brand new podcast, I’d be extremely grateful. Don’t forget to also subscribe to the show at the top of this page! 

We are currently running a Crowdfunder to help fund the podcast and those unable to afford 1:1 therapy. You can check it out here, we’d love any donations and please spread the word.

Lydia led an expat lifestyle, forever on the move due to her father’s job. By seventeen, Lydia had been to eleven schools. No time to make friends or put down roots. Consequently she suffered from depression and craved parental attention.

Lydia enjoyed food, despite some critical comments from family members, and went along with her parents as they embraced healthy eating and exercise. But life began to unravel when the family relocated to Indonesia and she became unwell – a cycle of compulsive exercise, anorexia and bulimia.

The all-familiar, familial struggles coupled with an abusive relationship cemented her misery. 

Being accepted into an English University allowed her to escape and she cut the ties that bound her. She felt better as soon as she boarded the plane.

After her degree, Lydia went to work in Myanmar. She loved it until the morning of February 1st, 2021, when the National League for Democracy (NLD) was deposed by the Tatmadaw (Myanmar’s military) and a state of emergency was declared. Once again Lydia was trapped but this time by a military coup.

Tune in to hear about Lydia’s escape from Myanmar and her compelling story.

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:

[03:40] - Family fixated on food 

[11:00] - Eating Disorders start

[24:23] - Needs help, treatment

[31:05] - Goes to Myanmar

CONNECT WITH LYDIA GOLDMAN:

Instagram: @lydiagoldman

Lydia’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LydiaZachary/videos

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

If you enjoyed this episode, please let me know your thoughts on Instagram @thisfoodthingpodcast and consider leaving an honest review and rating for the show on iTunes, it helps with the ranking and as this is a brand new podcast, I’d be extremely grateful. Don’t forget to also subscribe to the show at the top of this page! 

We are also currently running a Crowdfunder to help those who cannot afford 1:1 therapy and need it the most. You can check it out here and I’d appreciate any donations and if you could spread the word. 

Ian was a sensitive child who suffered debilitating migraines and digestive issues from a young age.

Desperate to be free of these symptoms, Ian eliminated certain foods that severely restricted his diet. His parents, both professional chefs, did their utmost to feed him healthy and varied food, especially his Mum. But, what they couldn’t prevent was the extreme anxiety Ian felt and the physical behaviours he exhibited as a result of their divorce.

Some respite came by way of a therapist (which was unusual for a child in 1970’s Britain) and Ian enjoyed moments of “chill” during their sessions. But the physical signs and anxiety persisted into adult life as Ian constantly assessed his diet and lifestyle.

At long last, age forty-eight, Ian was formally diagnosed with ADHD and his world began to make sense.

Join me to hear how Ian copes and what a relief it is to finally understand himself.

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:

[02:20] - Food always a problem

[16:10] - Migraines and ADHD

[19:40] - ADHD triggers in childhood 

[28:00] - Eating with the right intention

CONNECT WITH IAN CHATTAM:

Instagram: @sackofsoul

Website: m.soundcloud.com/sack-of-soul

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

If you enjoyed this episode, please let me know your thoughts on Instagram @thisfoodthingpodcast and consider leaving an honest review and rating for the show on iTunes, it helps with the ranking and as this is a brand new podcast, I’d be extremely grateful. Don’t forget to also subscribe to the show at the top of this page! 

We are also currently running a Crowdfunder to help those who cannot afford 1:1 therapy and need it the most. You can check it out here and I’d appreciate any donations and if you could spread the word.

Sally Dixon aka The Fertility Chef has had an interesting relationship with food.

As a young child, she regularly enjoyed restaurants with her parents.

At fifteen Sally stopped eating. Months later and to the relief of her worried parents Sally saved them further upset when she declared herself “too thin” in some holiday snaps. And she began to eat again.

As a student Sally eschewed making food in the shared, and grubby collegiate kitchen for meals from a tin. Even later, working in the fashion industry meant long hours and even shorter meals.

But it was when Sally ran her own business under 24/7 pressures that she perfected her non-intake of non-food, opting instead for a protein shake or snack bar.

In 2016, Sally underwent two, unsuccessful, IVF cycles and for the first time began to examine the relationship between food/nutrition and fertility. It was the wake up call she needed. Join me to hear about Sally’s thoughts on food, nutrition and fertility experiences. 

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS

[06:00] - Food Intolerances

[11:00] -  Too thin, turning point

[15:50] - Low Fat Era

[31:00] - Grandmother’s Green’s

CONNECT WITH SALLY:

Instagram: @thefertilitychef

Website: www.thefertilitychef.co.uk

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

If you enjoyed this episode, please let me know your thoughts on Instagram @thisfoodthingpodcast and consider leaving an honest review and rating for the show on iTunes, it helps with the ranking and as this is a brand new podcast, I’d be extremely grateful. Don’t forget to also subscribe to the show at the top of this page! 

We are also currently running a Crowdfunder to help those who cannot afford 1:1 therapy and need it the most. You can check it out here and I’d appreciate any donations and if you could spread the word. 

Eve is the deputy health editor at The Mail on Sunday - a writer and a journalist. 

Eve has happy childhood memories around food.

At school she felt different, shy and “uncomfortable in her own skin.”

Four days before Eve’s thirteenth birthday her father died. Two years later she experienced her first serious bout of anxiety.

Eve’s anxiety remained constant, at University, and beyond as she started her new career within the media/fashion industry.

Work was exciting and stressful. Prior to her new job Eve dismissed fashion’s ideas around health and ‘thinness’ as ridiculous.

But now she was in it, she felt conflicted. She skipped breakfast and then lunch – the weight fell off – which made her one of the gang, a cool girl, until, finally, reducing dinner to the smallest size seemed completely normal. It wasn’t long before Eve was barely able to eat at all.

Within a few short months Eve developed anorexia nervosa. As her recovery began she received treatment as a day patient but when that didn’t work she was admitted full time onto a psychiatric ward. An experience Eve likens to the Ken Kesey novel and 1975 film, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. 

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:

[02:30] - Descent into Anorexia

[14:00] - Influences at work

[27:20] - Realisation

[30:30] - Treatment 

CONNECT WITH EVE:

Instagram: @eviesimm & @notplantbased

Website: www.dailymail.co.uk

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

If you enjoyed this episode, please let me know your thoughts on Instagram @thisfoodthingpodcast and consider leaving an honest review and rating for the show on iTunes, it helps with the ranking and as this is a brand new podcast, I’d be extremely grateful. Don’t forget to also subscribe to the show at the top of this page! We are also currently running a Crowdfunder to help those who cannot afford 1:1 therapy and need it the most. You can check it out here and I’d appreciate any donations and if you could spread the word.

Tallulah Rendall is a singer/songstress and sound therapist. She was only seven when sent to boarding school and attributes her career to not only “healing the experiences” she had then, but also helping her navigate through life’s challenges.

Significantly, during her teens, Tallulah caught glandular fever, which made her instantly allergic to a long list of foods coupled with multiple physical symptoms. She was often defeated by her weakened immune system and digestive issues caused by endless antibiotics.

Later, on tour in Australia, she collapsed from hypoglycemia caused by the rigors of being on the road, poor nutrition and not looking after herself. It was the shock and wake-up call Tallulah needed for better health and listening to her body.

Tune in to hear Tallulah’s inspiring healing journey through music and sound.

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:

• [02:10] - Allergic to everything
• [15:27] - Why Tallulah didn’t develop an eating disorder 
• [23:00] - Gong baths
• [30:00] - Politics around food 

CONNECT WITH TALLULAH:

Instagram: @talullahrendall

Website: tallulahrendall.com

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

If you enjoyed this episode, please let me know your thoughts on Instagram @thisfoodthingpodcast and consider leaving an honest review and rating for the show on iTunes, it helps with the ranking and as this is a brand new podcast, I’d be extremely grateful. Don’t forget to also subscribe to the show at the top of this page! 

We are also currently running a Crowdfunder to help those who cannot afford 1:1 therapy and need it the most. You can check it out here and I’d appreciate any donations and if you could spread the word. 

Dan was an overweight child. From an early age he ate big portions, especially the man-sized breakfasts cooked by his Dad (before school). Dan felt happy, momentarily, when full.

No one ever said, “that’s too much,” or, “you don’t need all that”. He wished they had.

Dan loved competitive sports and still does. He considers it an effective remover of bias gaining self-worth and confidence through sporting prowess. Dan threw himself into everything. Locker-room banter sometimes hurt. Again, no one asked whether his increasing weight was symptomatic of distress. And, again, he wished they had.Dan’s late teens and twenties were challenging. Two jobs, health issues and his younger brother suffering with severe BDD piled on the pressure. Dan continued to binge, secretly, night after night. His weight soared.

But when Dan’s Mum, planning for her wedding and undergoing her own transformation, took Dan to their local ParkRun the light finally switched on.

Dan made small, incremental changes. Cut sugar in tea. Committed to the Park Run. Slowly, and surely regaining control over his behaviours.

Tune in to hear Dan’s inspiring story of how he strives to be a better person and make every second count.

 EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:

• [04:00] - Divorce, overweight child
• [15:40] - Relationship with food
• [20:10] - Bingeing
• [33:00] - Dan at his heaviest and how he turned his life around

Listen to Dan's mum Debbie, chat with Jemma in Episode 20, here.

CONNECT WITH DAN:

Instagram: @danbutchermk

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

If you enjoyed this episode, please let me know your thoughts on Instagram @thisfoodthingpodcast and consider leaving an honest review and rating for the show on iTunes, it helps with the ranking and as this is a brand new podcast, I’d be extremely grateful. Don’t forget to also subscribe to the show!

We are also currently running a Crowdfunder to help those who cannot afford 1:1 therapy and need it the most. You can check it out here and I’d appreciate any donations and if you could spread the word. 

When Debbie Butcher was nineteen she left home for a new life in the South East despite her Mum begging her not to go. 

Leaving was the worst decision Debbie ever made and to this day, she remains full of regret.

It wasn’t long before her two adorable sons were born, but the wedded bliss Debbie left home for, ebbed away leaving her feeling lost, isolated and alone.

With no one to turn to, Debbie sought comfort in food. Overnight, her once healthy and balanced way of eating became obsessive and compulsive compounded by bingeing in secret.

Debbie’s binge eating cycles continued for many years, never more so than during the decade her youngest son suffered with an extreme and violent Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

Tune in and listen to Debbie’s extraordinary story and why she will never give up.

 EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:

• [02:00] - Early years
• [14:14] - Compulsive Eating
• [25:28] - Son’s bravery confronting his BDD made Debbie change
• [31:45] - Why Debbie never gave up

Listen to Debbie's son Dan, chat with Jemma in Episode 21, here.

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

If you enjoyed this episode, please let me know your thoughts on Instagram @thisfoodthingpodcast and consider leaving an honest review and rating for the show on iTunes, it helps with the ranking and as this is a brand new podcast, I’d be extremely grateful. Don’t forget to also subscribe to the show!

We are also currently running a Crowdfunder to help those who cannot afford 1:1 therapy and need it the most. You can check it out here and I’d appreciate any donations and if you could spread the word. 

When Jay was tiny he spat out the food prepared by his Mum. As he grew, despite her best efforts, Jay would only eat processed food. He was, he says, “an absolute nightmare!”

His Mum, keen for Jay to eat, filled the cupboards with chicken nuggets, pizza and spaghetti hoops, which Jay washed down with vast quantities of Dr Pepper.

This heady combination kept him going at school and on the football field until one day Jay gave up his dreams of a professional football career and moved to London for a Personal Training course.

For the first time Jay learnt about nutrition. 

The lights were on! Food was fuel and Jay needed to train and eat well to achieve his goals.

Today, Jay is Director of Trainer Development at TRX UK and an athletic machine. Join me to hear how he did it and now maintains it.  

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:

• [02:40] - Food as enemy
• [13:00] - Jay finds new way of eating
• [24:00] - Going to restaurants
• [40:00] - Bit of TRX

CONNECT WITH JAY:

Instagram: @trxtraining, @jaybrockwaytrx & @nikoandjay

Website: club.trxtraining.com

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

If you enjoyed this episode, please let me know your thoughts on Instagram @thisfoodthingpodcast and consider leaving an honest review and rating for the show on iTunes, it helps with the ranking and as this is a brand new podcast, I’d be extremely grateful. Don’t forget to also subscribe to the show at the top of this page! 

We are also currently running a Crowdfunder to help those who cannot afford 1:1 therapy and need it the most. You can check it out here and I’d appreciate any donations and if you could spread the word. 

Sarah Liz King was a straight ‘A’, high achieving, show jumping and dressage competing kid. This mentality served her well until a digestive issue had her cutting out food groups and later, while training for the bodybuilding, “bikini class”, in the grip of a serious exercise addiction

“The smaller I got, the unhappier I got, and the smaller my life became.” 

Exhausted, trapped and in a downward spiral, Sarah reached out for help.  With the right support she was able to unwind and, finally, recover. 

Today Sarah is Health at Every Size (HAES) Exercise Physiologist specializing in hypothalamic amenorrhea and runs a thriving coaching practice and podcast.

Join me to hear how Sarah turned her life around and thrived.

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:

• [02:30] - Food is friend. Former foe.
• [11:30] - Exercise addiction/bodybuilding
• [20:00] - Sarah’s Recovery
• [30:48] - Hear about Sarah’s work especially Hypothalamic Amenorrhea

CONNECT WITH SARAH:

Instagram: @sarahlizking

Website: sarahlizking.com

Holistic Health Radio Podcast

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

If you enjoyed this episode, please let me know your thoughts on Instagram @thisfoodthingpodcast and consider leaving an honest review and rating for the show on iTunes, it helps with the ranking and as this is a brand new podcast, I’d be extremely grateful. Don’t forget to also subscribe to the show at the top of this page! 

We are also currently running a Crowdfunder to help those who cannot afford 1:1 therapy and need it the most. You can check it out here and I’d appreciate any donations and if you could spread the word.